4th Oct 2016

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Exciting new developments at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Village

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MUHARRAM 3, 1438 AH

Facebook expands reach with buy-and-sell ‘Marketplace’

Putin scraps plutonium deal with ‘unfriendly’ US

World boxing champion Fury makes U-turn on retirement

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against petrol price hike

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2Govt challenges 18 8 27 verdict Wednesday’s meeting crucial to resolve crisis: MP

Min 19º Max 36º High Tide 01:14 & 14:03 Low Tide 07:57 & 20:01

By B Izzak

Kuwait’s exports down 25.8% in Q2 KUWAIT: Kuwait’s exports hit KD 3.5 billion in the second quarter of 2016, down 25.8 percent compared to April-June 2015, according to the country’s Central Administration of Statistics (CAS). In the same period, volume of trade decreased 17.6 percent compared to the second quarter of 2015. Volume of trade was KD 5.9 billion in April-June 2016, while it was KD 7.1 billion in April-June 2015, it said in a press statement to KUNA. Coverage rate was 150.8 percent in April-June 2016, while it was 200.6 percent in April-June 2015. In the second quarter of 2016, coverage rate (excluding oil) was 15.6 percent, while it was 20.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015, it added. For April-June 2016, the top categories for exports were mineral fuels and oils (KD 3.1 billion) with a share of 89.7 percent, organic chemicals (KD 77.9 million) at 2.2 percent and plastics and articles thereof (KD 60 million) at 1.7 percent.

In the same period, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances and parts thereof had by far the highest value of imports (KD 327.4 million) with share of 13.9 percent, followed by vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock and parts thereof (KD 279.3 million) at 11.8 percent, electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles” (KD 272 million) at 11.5 percent, and articles of iron and steel (KD 135.6 million) at 5.7 percent, it said.

In April-June 2016, the main partner country for non-oil exports was India (KD 62.5 million), followed

by Saudi Arabia (KD 52.6 million), UAE (KD 48.1 million) and China (KD 37.2 million). The top country for Kuwait’s imports was China (KD 361.1 million), followed by United States of America (KD 217.2 million), UAE (KD 215.6 million) and Germany (KD 160.5 million), it noted.

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PARIS: Cameras are set up as police officers stand guard at the entrance to a hotel residence on Rue Tronchet near Madeleine yesterday, where US reality television star Kim Kardashian (inset) was robbed at gunpoint by assailants. — AFP/AP

Kardashian held at gunpoint, jewelry worth $10m stolen Reality star tied up in bathroom PARIS/NEW YORK: Reality T V star Kim Kardashian returned to New York “badly shaken” yesterday after being robbed at gunpoint in her Paris residence by masked men who stole some $10 million worth of jewelry from her. Kardashian, wearing sunglasses and with her head bowed, was pictured entering her Manhattan apartment with her rapper husband Kanye West. She had left Paris by private jet hours after robbers tied her up in the bathroom and put a gun to her head.

Kardashian, who her publicist said was “badly shaken but physically unharmed,” said nothing to waiting media

Japanese wins Nobel for cell ‘recycling’ STOCKHOLM: Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan entist Christian de Duve a Nobel Medicine won the Nobel Medicine Prize yesterday for Prize in 1974. his pioneering work on autophagy - a It was de Duve who coined the term process whereby cells “eat themselves” - “autophagy”, which comes from the Greek which when disrupted can cause meaning self-eating. In what the jury Parkinson’s and diabetes. A fundamental described as a “series of brilliant experiprocess in cell physiology, autophagy is ments in the early 1990s”, Ohsumi used bakessential for the orderly recycling of dam- er’s yeast to identify genes essential for aged cell parts and understandautophagy. He then went on to ing it better has major implicaexplain the underlying mechations for health and disease, nisms for autophagy in yeast including cancer. Ohsumi’s disand showed that similar sophiscoveries “have led to a new particated machinery is used in adigm in the understanding of human cells. Ohsumi was able how the cell recycles its conto build on de Duve’s work and tents,” the jury said. prove that the lysosome “wasn’t “Mutations in autophagy a waste dump, it was a recycling genes can cause disease, and plant,” Karolinska Institute prothe autophagic process is fessor Juleen Zierath explained.

Yoshinori Ohsumi involved in several conditions Ohsumi’s findings opened including cancer and neurological disease,” the path to understanding the importance the jury added. Ohsumi told reporters in of autophagy in many physiological Tokyo that winning the Nobel “was my processes, such as how the body adapts to childhood dream, but it has not been the starvation or responds to infection. When focus of my concern since I got into research autophagy breaks down, links have been - I don’t like competing”. Researchers first established to Parkinson’s disease, type 2 observed during the 1960s that a cell could diabetes and other disorders that tend to destroy its own contents by wrapping them appear in the elderly. Intense research is up in membranes and transporting them to now under way to develop drugs that target a degradation compartment called the lyso- autophagy in various diseases. some - a discovery that earned Belgian sciContinued on Page 13

upon her arrival. “What happened is very unfortunate and those responsible must be severely punished,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told TV5 Monde. “We are fully mobilised to ensure the safety of the French people, as well as all those who visit France, and in particular tourists.”

A Paris police source earlier told Reuters that five attackers, wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings, struck around 3 am (0100 GMT) inside the exclusive apartment block where Kardashian, 35, was staying while attending Paris Fashion Week. — Reuters (See Page 40)

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Woman dumps dead newborn in mosque

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The body of a newborn baby was found in a bag dumped at a Salmiya mosque, said security sources, noting that worshippers called the police after suspecting the bag. Commenting on the case, the interior ministry’s relations and security media department said that the baby had been dumped in a donation storage area in the women’s section of the mosque. Detectives later found that a 34-year-old citizen living in a nearby building had given birth a few days earlier to a child outside wedlock, and with the consent of her Kuwaiti boyfriend and the child’s father, who is in jail, got rid of the baby.

24 Kuwaitis arrested in US over mobile content KUWAIT: Well-informed sources said around 24 young citizens, mainly students and some tourists, had been arrested in the US over the past few months over the contents of their mobile phones or laptops. The sources added that in view of the different rules followed in some states, many of the arrested citizens did not know the laws and regulations concerning what customs officers described as illegal content on their devices, and deemed such content as a threat to US security.

Further, the sources explained that one of the detainees was a 19-year-old student who has been detained for over a month now because of having “indecent photos of minors under 18” on his mobile phone. — Al-Rai

Saudi Cabinet abandons Hijri calendar for wages

An Omani follows his camels with his car as they return to their farm at sunset yesterday in Al-Lisaili, about 50 km southeast of Dubai. — AP

KUWAIT: The government yesterday submitted an appeal against the administrative court verdict which ruled that the increase in petrol prices was “unlawful” due to procedural flaws.

The appeals court will now set a date to start hearing the case.

Its decision is crucial to the fate of the hike in petrol prices, which went into effect on Sept 1. In its appeal, the government’s legal department insisted that the decision is legal and followed the proper procedures, and demanded that the court overturn the lower court ruling.

The administrative court said last week that the hike decision breached the law because the government did not take the approval of the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), the highest oil decision-making body in the country. The court said that the opinion of SPC in oil-related issues is essential for any decision to be in line with the law. The court also rejected a request to implement its ruling immediately to scrap the price hike. But if the court of appeals upholds the ruling, the price hike will be suspended immediately pending a revision of the ruling by the court of cassation, the country’s supreme court, whose rulings are final.

Meanwhile, a crucial meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow between the government and lawmakers to discuss measures to compensate Kuwaiti citizens affected by the petrol price hike. The meeting was called by Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem to replace a request by 35 MPs to hold an emergency session of the National Assembly to debate the issue. The Assembly is currently on summer recess and will open its new term on Oct 18. Holding any session requires the signature of the majority of its members.

Ghanem said that an informal meeting with the government will serve the purpose of the emergency session in resolving the standoff between the government and the assembly over the petrol price hike.

MPs are insisting that Kuwaiti citizens must not be affected by the increase and as such the government should find a mechanism to compensate them. MP Abdullah Maayouf said the meeting is crucial to resolve the petrol price issue and “reach an efficient solution for the two sides”. He said the meeting is not being held for election purposes but to deal with any negative impact against Kuwaiti citizens. Maayouf said that the meeting will not end before reaching a solution in favor of Kuwaiti citizens, adding that he is hopeful the petrol crisis will be resolved.

RIYADH: Saudi government workers will be paid according to the Gregorian calendar instead of the Islamic Hijri calendar, making the working month longer as part of cost-cutting measures, newspapers reported yesterday.

The change, approved by cabinet last week, brings civil service pay in line with the government’s JanuaryDecember fiscal year, the Arab News and Saudi Gazette reported. The reports said the latest austerity measure took effect on Oct 1. The Hijri calender consists of 12 months of 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the moon, meaning the Islamic year is several days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. Last week, cabinet also cut by 20 percent the salaries of ministers and froze the wages of lower-ranked civil servants. Almost twice as many Saudis are employed in the bloated public sector - where hours are shorter and leave longer - than in private firms.

BOGOTA: A woman stands near a white flag splashed in red as if it were blood after knowing the results of a referendum on whether to ratify a historic peace accord to end a 52-year war between the state and the communist FARC rebels on Sunday. —AFP

Shock as Colombia peace deal rejected Govt, FARC rush to save accord BOGOTA: The Colombian government and FARC rebels scrambled yesterday to save a peace deal after voters narrowly rejected it in a referendum, throwing the four-year-old peace process into uncertainty. The shock result prompted the government’s chief peace negotiator to offer his resignation - possibly paving the way for fresh talks - as the leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) vowed the rebels were prepared to “fix” the deal.

Both President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono, the top FARC commander better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, put a brave face on the referendum setback after their teams had negotiated for four years in Havana. They vowed to keep working together. “I will keep seeking peace until the last minute of my term,” Santos said. “Count on us, peace will triumph,” Timochenko added.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who had offered a UN team to oversee the disarmament process, said he had “urgently” sent his Colombia envoy to Havana, where the peace talks were held, for new

consultations. Still, the outcome left no clear way forward to end a half-century conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives. “Colombia is in uncertain territory,” said Angelika Retteberg, an expert on the peace process at the University of the Andes in Bogota.

The peace deal had been hailed as historic from the time it was concluded on Aug 24 to the moment it was signed last week in the presence of UN chief Ban and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Resentful of the blood shed by the Marxist guerrillas and the lenient punishment the deal meted out for their crimes, voters rejected it Sunday by a razor-thin margin: 50.21 percent for the “No” camp to 49.78 percent for “Yes”. Low turnout of just over 37 percent also proved fatal.

The head of the government’s delegation to the peace talks, Humberto de la Calle, offered his resignation to Santos, who has staked his legacy on ending the conflict. “Any mistakes we made are my responsibility alone,” De la Calle told journalists at the presidential palace.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

LOCAL

KUWAIT: New facilities provide entertainment activities for children and a selection of restaurants and cafes. — KUNA

Govt to develop Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Village KUWAIT: Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village will see great development in services and facilities this year, according to the steering committee of the Gulf Heritage Festival.

Doubling the efforts has been directed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, said the committee in a press statement yesterday. His Highness’ directives aim to provide all means of comfort to citizens and village

kuwait digest

Internationalization of environment protection

visitors, located in Salmi west of the Kuwaiti capital. The village, set to officially open its new facilities next December, provides entertainment activities for children and a selection of restaurants and cafes. It also aims at give visitors a perception to link past and present where the new generation can recognize what parents and grandparents’ practice had been in the past as well as customs and traditions. — KUNA

By Labeed Abdal

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Committee meets to portray untarnished image of Islam RIYADH: A special Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) committee tasked with depicting the genuine image of Islam convened yesterday for its inaugural meeting. The meeting featured discus-

sions over efforts to showcase Islam’s true image and strategies to combat campaigns promoting hatred, malice and extremism, a statement by the GCC’s General Secretariat noted. — KUNA

he adoption of Mediterranean provinces’ heads and major local authorities to an agreement to develop governance of the Mediterranean climate after concluding the second session of the MedCop Climate conference in Tangier in Morocco indicates alarm over the increase of global emissions beyond internationally approved rates.

The parties that signed this agreement are meant to enhance regional cooperation on climate change issues. The union for the Mediterranean is actively involved in the organization of MedCOP Climate 2016 as an institutional and financial partner. Climate change is a threat multiplier for stability and security in the Mediterranean, but through enhanced cooperation, Mediterranean countries will be able to face it. The MedCOP Climate 2016 gathered representatives from Mediterranean countries, private sector and civil society, as well as regional and international organizations that had the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas during different formats of activities: Debates, workshops, events and side-events.

The conference also called for reducing carbon production, creating more climate-related solutions, encouraging the integration of environmental issues in various educational programs and encouraging scientific research with the aim of enhancing creativity in terms of protecting the environment and the climate.

Keeping global warming within the 2 degrees Celsius limit as recommended by the Paris Summit requires not only national contributions, but also adopting a coordinated regional and Mediterranean policy, especially since this particular area is one of the most affected worldwide by climate change.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

LOCAL

Photos show some patients at the hospital. KRCS has launched a new phase in its campaign to treat Syrian refugees suffering from kidney failure. — KUNA photos

Kuwait assists refugees with kidney problems TRIPOLI: Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) is launching a new phase in its campaign to treat Syrian refugees suffering from kidney failure and illnesses.

Maha Al-Barjas, the KRCS General Secretary, said in a statement to KUNA that the new stage, due for six months, would get underway early next month. The Kuwaiti Red Crescent, in coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross, launched the project to provide medical aid for the Syrian refugees suffering from kidney problems more than two years ago.

Meanwhile, the manager of the state-run hospital in the northern city, Dr Khaled Kamal Eddine, said the KRCS aid depicted the great message by the State of Kuwait, explaining that the assistance included various

equipment and devices necessary for treating the kidney patients. The KRCS has been involved, since flareup of the Syrian crisis, in various humanitarian activities to help the Syrian refugees, estimated at 1.5 million.

In Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley, a team of the Kuwait Medical Association has conducted a number of surgeries for Syrian refugees. The association chairman, Dr Mohammad Al-Mutairi said that the team would also carry out cardiac operations. Dr Khaled AlSehlawi, member of the association, said a number of ill children and elderly were examined in the refugees’ camps and were given the needed treatment. The association humanitarian campaign proceeds for three days.

Kuwait Red Crescent clinic In another development, Clinic of Kuwait Red Crescent Society in the Jordanian capital has aided thousands of Syrian refugees providing costly treatment for various illnesses and conditions, namely for pregnant women whose delivery required caesarian operations. Wife of Mustafa, one of the refugees, 11 months ago, delivered the female baby Noor after prolonged and regular examination of the mother by personnel at the Kuwait-established clinic, where equipment for such special cases are available.

Noor was one of 37 babies who came to life in caesarian operations conducted by the KRCS medical team between August and July 2015 The KRCS admitted

5,917 patients, at a daily rate of 25-30 cases since a year ago. The staff treated 5,700 cases, conducted 56 natural births, 43 operations for children, admitted eight cases that warranted intensive care and shifted 73 others to specialists.

The Kuwaiti society has set up the clinic within a building of the Jordanian Red Crescent. The medical cadres started working in January 2015 for a year-long program. Value of the medical services, including dentistry, that had been provided were estimated at $84,000. The Kuwaiti association has been delivering humanitarian aid to the estimated 1.4 million Syrian refugees, hosted by Jordan, since break-out of the crisis in Syria.— Agencies

2 vehicles collide, burst into flames

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a vehicle when it collided with another car yesterday on the Sixth Ring Road, said security sources, noting that firemen rushed to the scene and controlled t h e f i re. S e p a r a te l y, a 3 6 - ye a r - o l d Egyptian sustained back pain when his vehicle collided into another in Ardiya. Also, a 35-year-old citizen and a 24-year-old Filipina were rushed to Amiri Hospital with various injuries they sustained in a car collision along the Fourth Ring Road.

Car accidents A citizen broke his left arm in a car accident in Mubarak Al-Abdullah, said security sources, adding that another citizen sustained head injuries in an accident along King Fahd Expressway.

Meanwhile, another 47-year-old citizen was rushed to Mubarak Hospital with severe back pain he sustained after he lost control over his vehicle and it turned over along Fahaheel Expressway.

Another 42-year-old Egyptian was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital with foot injuries when a speeding vehicle ran him over in Khaitan.

Accident on 7th Ring Road A 35-year-old Kuwaiti woman, her three children and an Ethiopian housemaid were rushed to Farwaniya Hospital with various injuries they sustained during an accident along the Seventh Ring Road.

Special training courses KFSD will launch special training courses for the youth next week on principles of fire extinguishing and safety precautions, said KFSD’s PR and media manager Col Khali Al-Amir, noting that the courses would be held under the slogan ‘A Firefighter in Every House’. Amir added that the course will help save lives and property. It will be held in the period of Oct 9-13.

Live shooting drill MoI’s Coastguard Department announced it will conduct a live shooting drill in national territorial waters in the period of Oct 3-5, 2016 from 8:00 am till 12:00 noon. The department added that the drill would take place at the following coordinates: longitude 28.55.0.N and latitude 048.37.5.E near Garouh Island, and longitude 28.46.8.N and latitude 048.37.2.E near Um Al-Maradem island.

Increase in fractures, accidents, joint pain

By Meshaal Al-Enezi KUWAIT: President of Kuwait’s 1st Orthopedic Surgery Conference and orthopedic surgeon at Al-Razi Hospital Dr Ali Jrag stressed that an increase in fractures, accidents, joint pain and osteoporosis has increased the demand for orthopedic surgery in Kuwait. Speaking on the sidelines of the conference jointly sponsored by KISR, the faculty of medicine and Al-Razi Hospital, Jrag said that orthopedic surgeries have come a long

Filipina and Kuwaiti boyfriend arrested Following up the image of a Filipina circulating on social media wearing a military cap, MoI’s relations and security media explained that the Filipina was identified and arrested along with her Kuwaiti boyfriend in Hawally. The sources added that the boyfriend was a policeman who has been suspended since March 2015 over criminal charges.

way and are highly developed thanks to modern technological applications.

MSAL’s disabled care dept The manager of MSAL’s disabled care department Musallam Al-Sebaei yesterday met employees of the vocational rehabilitation and the disabled care departments to discuss the problems they face in doing their jobs and possible solutions. Meanwhile, a number of employees of the disabled care houses yesterday held a sit-in protest for transfer-

ring them to Sulaibikhat.

Mosque car parks Municipal council member and Hawally committee chairman Yousef AlGhareeb urged authorities to organize car parks around Salwa mosques. In another development, Municipal council member and Farwaniya committee chairman Nayef Al-Sour said PAS should be held responsible for the cleanliness of horse stables in Kabd instead of the municipality. He added that the area was full of dis-

eases resulting from trash and dead animals surrounding the stables. “Some people have started getting rid of rubbish by burning it,” he underlined.

MP files an inquiry MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan yesterday filed an inquiry addressing Minister of Communication and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Essa Al-Kandari concerning transferring a number of Kuwaiti pilots from Kuwait Airways to other administrative government jobs.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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File photo shows Al-Shamlan Port. — KUNA

PAYS keen on overcoming obstacles facing athletes

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KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah yesterday stressed on Public Authority for Youth and Sports’ (PAYS) keenness on overcoming obstacles facing the Kuwaiti athletes. This came in a press release issued by PAYS following the 10th meeting of its board of directors, attended by PAYS Director General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The meeting comes in implementation of the political leadership’s instructions to improve the sports domain according to the Cabinet’s recommendations.

PAYS Board of Directors approved a number of agreements with Malta, South Africa, Gambia, Kyrgyzstan and Hungary for exchanging sports expertise. It also blessed the budget for the year 2017-2018. Moreover, the PAYS board decided to allow citizens of all ages to be involved in sports and proclaim a number of clubs specialized in horse-riding, water games and golf. It praised achievements of the Kuwait Shooting Union and Kuwaiti Disabled Club in Rio De Janeiro Olympics, presented by players Fuhaid Al-Dhehani, Abdullah Al-Rashidi and Ahmad Al-Mutairi.

KISR chief Samira lauds Kuwait’s ties with IAEA VIENNA: Director General of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Dr Samira Omar yesterday extolled Kuwait’s technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In statements after participating in the 60th IAEA conference in the Austrian capital Vienna on September 26-30, Dr Samira described the ties as “an integral part of development,” adding that KISR has always prioritized its ties with the Asia Pacific region. Speaking on projects germane to nuclear information technology, she noted they encompass training programs on nuclear medicine

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PAYS decided to offer financial and moral rewards to players who won Olympic and Paralympic medals, along with offering monthly financial allotments. It endorsed the efforts exerted by the Football Association for organizing the latest Super Cup soccer match, expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa for the productive cooperation between PAYS and the Ministry by offering extra classes for sports activities. PAYS lately improved the performance of its administrative work to best serve the sports sector. — KUNA

Kuwaiti Municipality Director-General Ahmad AlManfouhi Kuwait hosts workshop on urban development KUWAIT: Kuwait is set to play host to a Gulf workshop on strategic urban planning, with a host of experts and senior officials from GCC municipalities participating. Speaking to KUNA on the event, Kuwaiti Municipality Director-General Ahmad Al-Manfouhi said the three-day workshop aims at promoting cooperation and coordination among the GCC member states in the municipal field. He added that the GCC municipal officials had asked the Kuwait Municipality during their 32nd meeting in June to set out referential conditions and terms for a Gulf strategic urban planning project thanks to Kuwait’s experience in this regard. Kuwait has adopted three state structural plans, he boasted, noting that another plan would be hammered out soon as part of ongoing efforts to transfer Kuwait into a financial and trade hub.

and ways to enhance processes to monitor environmental radioactivity.

Moreover, the projects also include studies concerning harmful accumulations of algae and genetic mutation, Dr Samira said, adding that these projects have progressed smoothly with a 95 percent success rate. On Kuwait’s participation in the IAEA conference, she said that a series of five development projects for the years 2018/2019 were discussed. She also spoke of Kuwait’s proposal for a joint project aimed at examining the composition of dust and sand through nuclear means. —KUNA

Minister of Information Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud AlSabah meets the heads of popular troupes. — KUNA

Safeguard heritage Director General of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Dr Samira Omar participates in the 60th IAEA conference in Vienna. — KUNA

Kuwait to take part at the Expo Dubai KUWAIT: Kuwait affirmed yesterday that it would take part in Expo Dubai international exhibition 2020 to demonstrate support for the brotherly people of the United Arab Emirates. Minister of Information Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud AlSabah, during a reception of Expo Dubai’s

organizers, said the event, bannered “Minds, Creating the Future,” constitutes a contemporary outlook for reaching common and sustainable solutions to global problems, at a time nations of the world are much more connected than any other time. —KUNA

Minister of Information Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah is pictured during a reception of Expo Dubai’s organizers.— KUNA

Zanzibar government praises Kuwait support KUWAIT: Minister of Education and Vocational Training in Zanzibar Riziki Juma has lauded Kuwait’s support to education in the island. There are several projects that can constitute a take-off for fur ther cooperation with Kuwait through the official and private institutions, such as contributing to teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers and providing scholarships to Zanzibar students in science, technology, oil, engineering, Arabic and Islamic studies, Juma said, according to a statement by the Kuwaiti embassy in Tanzania yesterday.

In the meantime, the minister pointed to the huge support by the Kuwaiti charity organizations to education in Tanzania, building new schools and helping numerous students to complete their learning. The scholarships offered

by the Africa Muslims Committee in Zanzibar, an affiliate of the Kuwait-based Direct Aid Society, to study at AlIhsan School, and the ones by the Abdulrahman Al Sumait University help graduates build better future for their future, Juma said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Tanzania Jassem Al-Najem stressed the “real need” for more support to the education institutions in Zanzibar. He added that signing cooperation agreements between the Kuwait Universities and those of Tanzania will help both sides provide scholarships for students, in addition to the exchange of expertise among professors. According to AlNajem, vocation training is a major field of cooperation, with the aim of fulfilling the needs of the market.—KUNA

KUWAIT: Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Sheikh Salman AlHumoud Al-Sabah has underscored the necessity of maintaining the popular heritage and its arts with aim of boosting national belonging. Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud, during a reception of a number of heads of popular troupes, affirmed anew importance of safeguarding the popular heritage for promoting Kuwait at the civil and cultural levels. The supreme leaders attach special attention to the Kuwaiti popular heritage, he said, mentioning in this respect the annual popular festival, patronized by His Highness the Amir, also noting that the festival has turned into a distinguished mark on “the map of popular festivals in the Arabian Gulf region.”

Arab League condemns attack on UAE’s vessel CAIRO: The Arab League has condemned the attack on UAE civilian vessel near the port city of Aden, Yemen, while it was on a regular trip to transport humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded. In a statement, the spokesman for Arab League’s Secretary General Mahmoud Afifi said that such act violates international law and not acceptable at all. The statement noted that the attack has no justification and jeopardizes security of maritime navigation in Bab AlMandab, exposing it to grave risk, as the act was contrary to international maritime laws and to regional and international efforts being made to send relief aid to Yemen. Last night, the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni legitimate government said a vessel leased by the UAE Armed Forces was rescued after coming under attack by Yemeni “Ansarullah” militia.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

20.5 percent of adult Kuwaitis are ‘smokers’ KUWAIT: Recent surveys revealed that 20.5% of adult Kuwaitis are smokers and about 56% suffer from high cholesterol, Health Ministry media office said. Head of the media office Dr Ghalya Al-Mutairi revealed these statistics during an awareness day that was held as the world is celebrating World Heart Day. The event is organized by the social committee for National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim and is under the sponsorship of Dr Fayza Al-Kharafi.

The one day event, under the slogan “charge your life,” touched on the Health Ministry’s plan to raise awareness of chronical and communicable diseases and means of preventing them. She pointed that cardiovascular diseases come high on the list of diseases suffered by the Kuwaiti population.

According to a health survey conducted in 2014 by the Health Ministry and World Health Organization, nearly quarter of the Kuwaiti population is troubled with high blood pressure. In addition, 11% of Kuwaitis aged 40-69 have some type of cardiovascular diseases.

Heart diseases are attributed to overweight that is widely spread among Kuwaitis by 77%, she said. She pointed out that today’s event has a significance to raise awareness on how to deal with these diseases, steps to prevent them and adopt a healthy lifestyle to improve overall wellbeing. — KUNA

A woman bakes bread on the iron sheet in this photo. —KUNA

‘Tafha’ - a significant year of overflowing prosperity KUWAIT: The year 1912 was a significant year in Kuwait, it was known as ‘Sinat Al-Tafha’ (the year of the overflowing prosperity), which reflected positively on the overall economic situation of the state and citizens. In that year, Kuwait witnessed the biggest economic activity in its old history, where the pearl diving ships reached 800 with some 30,000 personnel and the earning for that period reached six million rupees. The main reasons for the increase in the maritime economic activity in that year was due to what happened in 1910 after the battle of Hadiya which drained state funds.

Moreover, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah forced to impose additional taxes and prevent pearl diving activity, which led to the migration of pearl merchants to neighboring countries. Then in 1911, pearl merchants returned to Kuwait, and around 800 ships set off again, to recompensate for the last two years’ loss. The Holy Month of Ramadan during that year witnessed two seasons of pearl diving, before Ramadan and after Eid Al-Fitr, hence came the naming the year as ‘Sinat Al-Tafha’.—KUNA

Special Arab meeting KUWAIT: Kuwait delegate at the Arab League Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al-Bakr said an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the level of permanent delegates would be convened today at the request of Kuwait to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Ambassador Al-Bakr added in press statements that a deadline was determined following consultations conducted by the Presidency in Tunisia, the General Secretariat in Cairo and Kuwait with Arab countries, adding that Kuwait’s quest was backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Tunisia, the UAE and Bahrain. He also said the council was expected to consider the deteriorating situation in Aleppo due to indiscriminate aerial bombardment of civilians with barrel bombs and the siege. He added that the Arab stakeholders would appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations to provide aid to the besieged people of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, United States is suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia that were part of the short-lived cessation of hostilities in Syria, White House said yesterday. “Everybody’s patience with Russia has run out,” leading to the suspension of talks, noted Josh Earnest, White House press secretary. Russia has lost credibility by “making a series of commitments without any indication they were committed to following them,” he told a briefing.

Earnest said Russia had not carried out a successful initiative against the so-called Islamic State in Syria in more than seven months, and that Russia had been “reduced to claiming credit for successful US operations”. —Agencies

KUWAIT: An Asian was arrested in Rumaithiya with 300 gm of heroin and 70 gm of meth.

— Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Some of the participants are pictured in this photo during the Awareness Day as the world celebrates World Heart Day. — KUNA

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Fr om the Arabic press

Crime

Al-Anbaa

R e p o r t

420 unanswered inquiries

Arab expatriate arrested for multiple fraud cases

By Thaar Al-Rasheedi

KUWAIT: An Arab expat was arrested for multiple fraud cases, said security sources, adding that the suspect had collected money from his victims claiming to give them 200 percent profits.

T

‘Mental case’ A citizen called the police requesting help in controlling his son who became hysterical and started damaging the furniture and attacking his siblings.

The man was controlled and referred to the mental diseases hospital.

Kuwaiti suspects arrested Two citizens were arrested and a third managed to escape after the three obstructed police work. Security sources said they prevented a policeman from arresting a friend of theirs and helped him evade arrest. Meanwhile, a wanted Kuwaiti was arrested while jogging in Mangaf, said security sources. Also, a Kuwaiti and a Saudi were arrested with meth in Jahra industrial area.

—Al-Jarida

Al-Anbaa

Reckless driving

Victory festivities

A citizen was arrested for reckless driving, endangering his and others’ lives in Um Al-Haiman.

Security sources said the suspect resisted arrest and damaged two police patrol cars before he was brought under control. The suspect is facing up to 10 charges.

Daughter flees An Egyptian in Abu Halifa reported that his 19-year-old daughter fled the house after some family problems and being grounded in her room.

Identity theft An Indian reported that someone had used his identity to purchase mobile lines and phones, and that a local telecom’s legal representative called him in this regard. In another development, an Indian woman reported that unidentified robbers stopped her young son, threatened him with a screwdriver and stole his mobile phone.

Doctor files a complaint A doctor filed a complaint at Jabriya police station accusing a citizen of insulting him while on duty, said security sources. —Al-Rai and Al-Anbaa

By Salah Al-Sayer

T

alk ing about defeat is nothing but the babble of some intellectuals talking while looking down on people without knowing that we win every day. That is why national defeats and setbacks do not make us feel bad.

In our societies, a politician achieves victor y when the public believes his false promises; the people achieve victory when naturalizing non-Muslims is banned; a terrorist sorcerer achieves vic tor y when little boys believe in him and go blow themselves up, k illing the innocent and die happy with their great victory; and finally, everyone who gets a selfie with a fashionista or a silly presenter feels very victorious!

However, the path of winning is very rough and victor y is not achieved by wishes.

Therefore, we are used to giving our lives and making valuable sacrifices to achieve victory. In order to win a few meters ahead of you, I would e n d a n g e r my l i fe, yo u r s a n d t h a t o f o t h e r s

when I overtake your vehicle at extremely high speed on highways! You might leave a store victoriously before a salesperson who made a mistake in your bill and forgot to charge you one extra dinar realizes what he did.

So, our cheap victories keep happening and creating glory on social media networks, where ever ybody is racing and competing for more ‘likes’ and ‘followers’. We are inseparable with victory, and despite the defeats clouding our sk ies, vic tories keep happening here on the ground where we live. A husband feels victorious when his wife believes his lies. The people feel victorious because they did not kneel even though all buildings did under air strikes. We feel victorious by manipulating electricity bills.

We feel victorious practicing social hypocrisy.

And a vegetable vendor feels victorious, when after weighing a kilo of tomatoes he manages to swiftly return one tomato back to the shelf!

—Translated by Kuwait Times

he government’s respect of the parliament reflects its respect to the people, otherwise it would be perceived that the government does not respect or listens to its concerns. This is very clear in inquiries filed against certain ministers, who do not respond or even give incomplete and unclear answers. Although the minister of state for Cabinet affairs admitted in July that ministers had responded to 86 percent of the inquiries filed over the past few years, the fact is that half of such responses were nominal and inaccurate, which is not a new thing created by this parliament. It goes way back to the very first years of parliamentary life in Kuwait.

For the sake of not delaying his response or being accused of ignoring an MP, a minister would resort to give general dissatisfying answers without even confirming, denying or refuting the points mentioned in the request. He would give grey inbetween answers, and I believe that over than half of ministers’ responses belong to this category.

The problem here lies in the fact that, according to Assembly regulations, an MP is not entitled to repeat an inquiry filed against the same minister more than twice, and then on, a minister does not have to respond. Why have 14 percent of requests left without responses and what are those inquiries?

However, do you know how many those 14 percent are compared to the total number of inquiries?

Well, according to minister Omair, the total number is 3,000, which means that 420 remain un-responded to. Do we actually understand what this means?

Well, it simply means that there are 420 overdue grilling motions, because an inquiry is a minor form of grilling and ministers avoiding inquiries and refraining from responding to them become perfect targets for grilling motions - which did not actually happen.

In fact, on finding that a certain minister avoids responding to an inquiry, it is the right of any MP to go one step further and grill such a minister, which did not happen, either. I am not for or against anybody here, but as a citizen, I do know that our parliamentary representatives have failed to get any responses to 420 inquiries, and that those should have turned into 420 grilling motions over the past three years. Regardless of its size or shape, the parliament should not give up its regulatory role and should be up to our trust.

—Translated by Kuwait Times

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab hosts ‘Innovate for Refugees’ competition KUWAIT: MIT Enterprise Forum (MIT EF) Pan Arab is set to host the final event of its ‘Innovate for Refugees’ Competition under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The award ceremony will take place at the King Hussein Business Park Main Theatre in Amman, Jordan today to recognize the most innovative, tech-driven solutions tailored to the refugee crisis across the globe.

The competition, which is awarding US$110,000 in cash prizes, was launched in June 2016 in partnership with Zain Group, a leading mobile telecommunications innovator across the Middle East and Africa, and MBC Hope, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of MBC, and is supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, Jusoor and Uber. There were also over 30 partners supporting the competition including TechFugees and the International Rescue Committee. Over 1,600 applications were received from a wide range of countries and sectors, the majority of which hailed from Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Basic needs, healthcare and education sectors were well represented within the applications.

Women submitted 32% of all applications, and 15% of total entries were submitted by refugees.

“We are honored and thrilled to have the final award ceremony under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

Congratulations to our finalists. We saw a very high level of engagement from the youth, the refugees themselves, the hosting population and people worldwide, all trying to find a technology solution to a problem that concerns us all,” said Hala Fadel, Founder and Chair of the MIT EF Pan Arab. “It is a sign of a healthy and empathetic community worldwide despite the controversies around refugees and immigration this past summer when we called for applications”, Fadel added. On his part, Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said, “We are inspired by the 1600 applications and extremely proud of the 21 finalists, and wish them the very best at the final event. The combination of innovation and enthusiasm for a cause like the plight of refugees is exactly what communities in the region require, and as a major digital lifestyle provider in the Middle East, Zain Group throws its full weight behind this initiative and what it represents.”

Mazen Hayek, MBC Group’s Official Spokesman commented: “Our partnership with the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab aims at addressing some of the most pressing problems and issues facing the refugee crisis”. Hayek further added: “As MBC, We See Hope Everywhere, and we are confident that this forum and competition will tackle those issues while searching for real solutions that would benefit those most in need for a better future and a glimpse of HOPE.” “Innovate for Refugees” invited entrepreneurs and refugees from around the world to come up with techdriven, innovative solutions to help address the global refugee crisis. In the time since the competition was launched, a review process by over 70 industry experts has taken place, leading to the shortlisting of 21 finalists that have been selected for the final stage of the competition.

The competition is awarding prizes totaling US$110,000, with four prizes of US$20,000 each and one prize of over US$30,000.

The prizes will be awarded to the most innovative solutions that effectively tackle challenges faced by refugees. The winners will also receive mentorship and training by industry experts to help them through the execution of the projects.

Of the five prizes, two are offered by the main sponsors Zain and MBC Hope and are open to solutions across categories including healthcare, energy, food, shelter and security. The third is marked for an educational solution and offered by Jusoor, an NGO established by Syrian expatriates supporting the country’s development. The fourth prize, offered by UNICEF, is marked for a ‘child-focused technology’ that targets the most vulnerable or underserved children. The fifth prize was raised through a campaign with Uber, and was loaded on the crowdfunding campaign on the Generosity by Indiegogo platform, and will reward the most innovative solution brought forward by a refugee.

MIT EF Pan Arab and its partners Zain and MBC Hope’s decision to holding this event in Jordan is poignant given the Kingdom’s important role as a safe-haven for a wide variety of refugees from neighbouring countries. Under the enlightened leadership of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, the Kingdom has established a strong focus on the development of innovative

digital technologies, not just for humanitarian purposes, but also for the benefit of all people linked to Jordan and beyond.

Full list of finalists 1. Basma, based in Jordan, is an intelligent platform that enables volunteers to get involved with refugee-related opportunities.

Volunteers are matched according to their skills and interests.

2. Blue Labor Employment Support System (BLESS), based in Lebanon, is an employment app that bridges the gap between businesses and blue collars to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

3. Boloro and BanQ - Global Payments and Economic ID Network, based in Jordan, brings financial inclusion and economic opportunity solutions for refugees and extreme poverty populations through a partnership between BanQu, a leading blockchain economic identity platform company and Boloro Global Limited, a USA-based global payments gateway platform.

4. Dignified, hygienic personalized sanitation solutions for displaced families, based in the US, consists of a revolutionary

evaporative toilet that is low-cost, compact, stand-alone solution for off-grid and informal dwellings and which rapidly “flushes” away 85-90% of daily household sewage volumes.

5. Evaptainers, based in Morocco, are mobile and modular evaporative coolers that are ideal for low-income, off-grid areas and that can triple or quadruple the shelf-life of most produce.

6. HeyDoc!,based in the UAE, is a tele-health app that allows patients to communicate with doctors via in-app communication for the purpose of medical advisory. It is a platform for refugees to gain access to qualified doctors and medical consultants.

7. Kiron Open Higher Education, based in Germany, has developed an online platform which enables access to selected courses from partner Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) providers, which are organized into a university-level curriculum. Kiron is currently working on bringing this model to the Middle East, starting in Jordan.

8. LEDlife, based in Switzerland, has developed a low cost, fun and easy to make DIY solar LED lamp kit; an educational tool for teaching about renewables, sustainability and recycle.

9. MentorEd, based in Jordan, is an intelligent and customizable mentor matching platform for organizations. It utilizes the network effect to serve as the bridge for people who want to mentor but can’t access the right mentees, and people who need mentorship, but can’t find the right mentors.

10. MeshPoint, based in Croatia, is a crisis communication solution that provides free mobile Wifi hotspots for refugees. When there is no Internet infrastructure, MeshPointis used as a communication hub for refugees and aid teams.

11. MnTMeGration, based in Lebanon, is an e-Learning platform which enables refugees to access courses via their smartphones and to receive a digital certificate of knowledge if they complete the program. To get this certification, refugees will have to create their digital ID into a decentralised database, using Blockchain technology.

12. Nahy, based in Germany, developed an ingredient database of over 125,000 products sold in the European market including the localized name of each ingredient in Arabic (with oth-

er languages to be added gradually) and any specific restrictions associated with that ingredient. Their aim is to enables refugee families to make informed food choices.

13. NaTakallam, based in the US, consists of a platform that provides employment opportunities to Syrian refugees as Arabic conversation partners for Arabic students around the world.

14. OpenEmbassy, based in the Netherlands, is an online helpdesk that enables status holders (refugees with a permit) to ask questions about their integration process and from their answers, Open Embassy develops an FAQ and a smart wiki and shares the lessons learnt with the key stakeholders like local government and NGOs, to help them develop smarter integration policies and products.

15. ProjectZayed, based in the UAE, is a remote educational platform designed to educate less fortunate children using cloud based services and mobility Solutions.

16. Proximie, based in the UK, aims to revolutionise the way surgeons work and educate through augmented virtual guidance provided remotely, both locally and globally.

17. Self-sustaining Agroshelter, based in Germany, proposes a sustainable system with agriculture as the base; using natural material leftover from agriculture like straw bale or clay for the construction of shelter.

18. Ssyla, based in Lebanon, is a secure platform/mobile application connecting refugees with a global network of therapists who provide real-time video therapy sessions focused on their specific mental and psychosocial health needs.

19. Tone-bit, based in Egypt, is a solar or direct powered hydroponic system capable of growing many types of plants to help feed the refugees at low cost.

20. Vibes, based in the UK, aims on improving the wellbeing of refugees by establishing meaningful connections between refugees and non-refugees through the use of a mobile app.

21. Recycle Beirut, based in Lebanon, is a social business combining two problems, the refugee crisis and the waste crisis, into a solution. The company employs refugees at a living wage to pick up, sort, and process recyclables for the greater Beirut area.

KIB organizes a seminar on ‘Islamic Investment Funds’ KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) organized a training seminar for its employees who work in the areas of local and international investments, under the title “Islamic Investment Funds.”

Discussing the seminar, Dr Hisham Abdulhay Coordinator at the Fatwa And Shariah Supervisory Unit, said that the training program gave a comprehensive look at the concept of Islamic investment funds; explaining their characteristics and benefits, and highlighting the ways in which they differ from conventional funds. The seminar also examined the technical, legal, sharia and regulatory frameworks of Islamic investment funds.

Dr Abdulhay pointed out that the program addressed the latest investment tools and modules in Islamic Investment, which have successfully attracted investors due to a number of factors including high returns, equal profit distribution for all, convenient subscription and easy liquidation.

Accordingly, this has cemented the investor’s trust and allowed them to fulfill their goals of enhancing their wealth, in a successful and positive environment which is based on specialized expertise and a strong regulatory framework.

The training program featured interactive discussions and practical case studies, which according to Dr. Abdulhay served to enhance the educational value of the seminar and allowed the participants to actively engage in the learning experience. The three-day seminar concluded with a practical exercise involving the creation of a model fund, in compliance with the Capital Market Authority’s executive

regulations for Islamic investment funds.

Dr Abdulhay further added: “This seminar comes as part of a comprehensive series of programs being carried out by KIB, in accordance with the Bank’s policy in providing continued

education and professional training to its employees, and in line with its strong belief that ongoing training helps employees enhance their professional knowledge and acumen. This in turn enables our employees to

keep up with all the developments taking place in the ever-evolving Islamic Banking sector, especially in light of the increasing demand for Islamic Banking services both locally and regionally.”

Surprise candidate voted Estonia’s first woman president Page 10 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Taleban fighters enter Afghan city of Kunduz Militants take position in houses Syrian rebels approach symbolic Islamic State village ISTANBUL/BEIRUT: Syrian rebels backed by Turkey and a US-led coalition are closing in on the Islamic State-held village of Dabiq, the site of an apocalyptic prophesy central to the militant group’s ideology.

Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel groups have been pushing southwards into Islamic State’s territory in an operation backed by Turkey since Aug. 24, and have taken villages near Dabiq in recent days.

A rebel leader said the plan was to reach Dabiq within 48 hours, but cautioned Islamic State had heavily mined the surrounding area, a sign of its importance to the group.

Although Dabiq, a village in relatively flat countryside northeast of Aleppo, holds little strategic value, it is seen by Islamic State as the place where a final battle will take place between Muslims and infidels, heralding Doomsday. The group has named its online English-language magazine Dabiq and in April and May sent about 800 fighters there to defend it against advances by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on yesterday. “If matters proceed as planned, within 48 hours we will be in Dabiq,” Ahmed Osman, commander of the Sultan Murad FSA group, said in a voice recording sent to Reuters.

However, Islamic State has heavily mined the area, making progress around Turkman Bareh slower than in other areas, said Osman, adding that 15 deaths among insurgent ranks in the past 24 hours were caused by mines and mortar fire. The US-led coalition against Islamic State is actively supporting the rebels as they advance “to within a few kilometers of (its) weakening stronghold” of Dabiq, Brett McGurk, Washington’s special envoy for the coalition, said in a Tweet.

Islamic State has exploited the fiveyear-old Syrian civil war to seize swathes of territory. Washington believes taking Dabiq could strike at Islamic State morale as it prepares to fend off expected offensives against Iraq’s Mosul and Syria’s Raqqa, the largest cities held by the jihadists, officials from a coalition country said.

Turkish warplanes hit Islamic State targets in the areas of Dabiq, Akhtarin and Turkman Bareh, destroying nine buildings including a command post, gun positions and an ammunition depot, a statement by Turkey’s military said yesterday.

The latest fighting marks an escalation since Turkish troops crossed the border into Syria on Aug. 24 to back opposition fighters battling Islamic State in an operation Ankara says is aimed at removing the border threat the jihadists pose.

Nearly a dozen air strikes by the USbacked coalition killed 13 militants, while the Turkish army said it also fired on Islamic State from inside Turkey after the jihadists used rockets to target its border town of Kilis. — Reuters

KUNDUZ: Taleban fighters pushed into the centre of the northern Afghan city of Kunduz yesterday, taking control of the central intersection where they raised their flag a year ago in their biggest success of the 15-year-old conflict.

Witnesses and police said the insurgents, who entered the city in the early hours, were attacking the governor’s compound and police headquarters, while some officials were seen fleeing to the airport. With fighting also intensifying in the strategic southern province of Helmand, the attack on Kunduz, a day before a major international donors’ conference in Brussels, underlined Afghanistan’s precarious security situation and the Taleban’s ability to strike important targets.

Footage posted by the Afghan Taleban on social media showed fighters in Kunduz walking around the empty streets, describing how they had captured army strongpoints and taken prisoners. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the footage. The Taleban’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said its forces were treating residents “with kindness” and working to restore the city to normality.

The fighters appeared to have slipped through a defensive security line set up around Kunduz, entering the city itself from four directions before clashes broke out, witnesses said. Military helicopters flew overhead and gunfire could be heard in Kunduz, where a year ago to the day Afghan troops backed

by US air strikes and special forces were battling to drive out Taleban militants who had overrun the city.

Witnesses saw Taleban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and rocketpropelled grenades walking around deserted streets, entering homes and taking positions on rooftops. Afghan officials said special forces were being sent to Kunduz and the city would not be lost.

Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul, said the situation in Kunduz was “fluid” and US forces were ready to assist. “Our Afghan partners are responding to the increased Taleban activity within the area, and US forces have multiple assets and enablers in the area to provide support,” he said in an emailed statement.

The renewed attack on Kunduz forced officials to cancel a ceremony planned for Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of a US air strike that destroyed a hospital run by the international charity MÈdecins Sans FrontiËres.

Attacks across Afghanistan The assault on Kunduz came as the Taleban stepped up attacks in different parts of Afghanistan, including in Helmand, where they are threatening the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. Yesterday, Taleban fighters, positioned just across the Helmand river from the citty centre, took control of Nawa district to the south, killing a district police chief, officials said. Heavy fighting also continued along the main road to Tarin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, also in the south, where a Taleban raid on Sept. 8 sparked fears of another collapse like that in Kunduz last year.

The raid on Tarin Kot was beaten back, but it alarmed security officials because the militants were able to enter the city without significant resistance after police abandoned dozens of checkpoints. The fall of Kunduz last

KABUL: An Afghan security personnel inspects the site of a bicycle bomb explosion targeted an army vehicle yesterday. — AP

year was one of the most serious blows to the Western-backed government since the withdrawal of most international troops in 2014.

Although the insurgents abandoned Kunduz after a few days, the capture of a provincial capital underlined their growing strength and exposed weaknesses in the Afghan security forces, which control no more than two-thirds of the country. The city has remained effectively besieged ever since.

“Every day the militants come to the city and are pushed back by security forces,” said Amruddin Wali, a member of the provincial council, as he stood with security forces on the edges of the city. “There is killing and fighting every day.” Separately yesterday, at least six people were killed and 35 wounded in the northern province of Jawzjan by a bomb in a crowded marketplace. There was no immediate word on who was responsible.

Efforts at reviving peace talks have failed to produce results, but Afghanistan’s international partners are expected to agree to maintain billions of dollars in funding for the government over the next four years at a two-day meeting in Brussels this week. — Reuters

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

US pro-marijuana campaigners launch TV ads ahead of November votes BOSTON: Campaigns to legalize recreational marijuana use in Massachusetts and Maine launched their first television ads yesterday, hoping to boost public awareness and support ahead of November votes on the issue.

The ads began just over a month before Election Day, when voters in five US states will determine whether to legalize the recreational use of the drug, following the lead of Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia. The Massachusetts ads feature Tom Nolan, a former Boston Police Department officer and current professor of criminal justice at Merrimack College, advocating for legalization as a way to better regu-

late marijuana use.

“Question 4 requires strict product labeling and child-proof packaging and bans consumption by kids,” Nolan says in the 30-second spot, citing the question’s position on the November 8 ballot. The Maine advertisement also features an ex-law enforcement official, former Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion, who argues that legalizing the use of the drug for adults over the age of 21 would free up police resources to investigate violent crimes.

The campaigns launch a week after the group Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona launched its first blast of TV ads. Voters in California

and Nevada will also face ballot questions on the issue this year.

Both the Massachusetts and Maine campaigns face stiff opposition from local officials, with Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, a recovering alcoholic, among the most prominent Democratic voices against the idea. Walsh has stressed the perceived risk that legalizing marijuana could lead users to become addicted first to pot and then other drugs.

Maine Governor Paul LePage, a Republican, has also repeatedly voiced his opposition. Recent opinion polls have shown voters in both northeastern states favoring legalization. Some 53 percent of respondents to a WBZ/UMass Amherst poll of 700

likely Massachusetts voters last month supported the measure.

The result in Maine was much the same, with 53 percent of 505 likely voters polled by the Portland Press Herald saying they favored the idea.

Massachusetts’ pro-legalization Yes on 4 Campaign said its initial $650,000 television campaign would last a week, with the group potentially extending it if it proved effective.

“It’s a matter of how much money we have and how much TV we can afford,” said Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the group. “Voters will see more TV adds, they’ll see some mailings and we’ll certainly be attending forums and debates.” —Reuters

Syrian fighter returns to jail where IS tortured him ‘Our feet never touched the ground’ MANBIJ: In the dark basement of the Manbij Hotel, Ahmad Othman stares defiantly into the room where he spent 32 days strung up by a chain, tor tured by the Islamic State group. “Our feet never touched the ground.

Sometimes they pulled the chain up and down” to make the pain worse, Othman told

ed foreigners and Syrians alike, who would come here on weekend getaways. But during its two-year reign over Manbij, IS transformed the hotel into a nightmarish prison for anyone who violated the group’s hard line interpretation of Islamic law.

Othman, a Syrian Arab in his thirties, spent

MINBIJ, SYRIA: A general view taken on September 25, 2016 shows the flag of the Islamic State (IS) group painted on the wall outside the ancient Minbij hotel. —AFP AFP in the hotel-turned-prison that was run

by IS in the Syrian town of Manbij. “For a while after we were released, we couldn’t walk or focus on anything anymore,” he said.

In August, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters-recaptured the town in the north of the war-wracked country. In better times, the five-storey Manbij Hotel once host-

three months there in late 2015 after being accused of collaborating with anti-IS fighters.

The former student of French literature was released following a lack of evidence against him-and promptly joined the US-backed SDF. We ar ing hi s SD F f at igues, O t hm an returned with AFP to the hotel, which was heavily damaged in the US-led air strikes backing the SDF’s offensive. He entered the

building slowly, peering around corners as if expecting an IS fighter to leap out and drag him back into captivity.

Forced into tiny containers The hotel’s lower floors were transformed by the jihadists into an underground maze of dark cells and torture chambers. “The sun of the caliphate has risen,” reads a hand-painted message on one wall. “We definitely never saw any sun down here,” Othman said bitterly.

Handcuffs still hang off the cells’ black metal doors, with crudely cut-out slats allowing the jailers to keep an eye on their prisoners.

Orange-tiled shower stalls were turned into solitary confinement cells, and dust-covered clothing and plastic bottles still litter the floor. In one room, metal containers under a meter (one yard) high and 50 centimeters (20 inches) wide line the wall. This was “where prisoners would sit for days until they confessed”, said Othman, who spent several days himself squeezed into one locker-sized crevice.

He said detainees were only allowed brief intervals during which they could choose to eat or pray-and those who opted to have breakfast instead of completing their morning prayers were beaten.

Othman then pointed to a row of rusted holes on a white tile wall. “There used to be hooks here. This is where they would hang us,” the bearded fighter said. “They used to hit us everywhere, on our heads, our bodies.... They made us climb inside a large wheel that they would then hit.” Still, Othman considers himself lucky-for managing to get out alive and in reasonably good health.

“Some stayed suspended in the air for six months. They can’t walk at all anymore because of blood clots,” he said. Others who were imprisoned with him were executed by IS. “They just invent whatever accusation they feel like and behead people,” Othman said.

“How do they dare call themselves an Islamic state?” —AFP

CULIACAN, SINALOA STATE, MEXICO: A soldier rides atop a military vehicle in a convoy carrying the bodies of soldiers killed one day earlier in an ambush, inside the Novena Military Zone on Saturday. —AP

Mexican drug lord’s sons deny involvement in military ambush MEXICO CITY: A lawyer for imprisoned Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman says that the drug lord’s sons want the public to know they had nothing to do with an ambush that left five soldiers dead.

Lawyer Jose Refugio Rodriguez said in a radio interview Monday with MVS Noticias that he shares the military’s indignation and that sons Ivan and Alfredo Guzman

want Friday ’s ambush investigated.

Gunmen attacked a military convoy to free a wounded suspect in northern Sinaloa state. Apparently grenades were used.

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos called the attackers “sick, insane criminal beasts.” A local military commander said Friday Guzman’s sons were suspected. —AP

Putin suspends weapons-grade plutonium deal with US The US administration wants to cancel the Savannah River Site’s MOX project and use an alternative method for disposing of excess plutonium.

Putin pointed to the stalled plant earlier this year to accuse the

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin yesterday suspended a Russia-US deal on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, a move that comes amid escalating tensions over Syria between Moscow and Washington.

Putin’s decree released by the Kremlin cited Washington’s “unfriendly actions” and the United States’ inability to fulfill its obligations under the 2000 deal as reasons for the move. However, the decree says that the weaponsgrade plutonium that has fallen under the agreement will be kept away from weapons programs.

Under the agreement, which was expanded in 2006 and 2010, Russia and the US each were to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough material for about 17,000 nuclear warheads. When it was signed, the deal was touted as an example of successful US-Russian cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation.

mixed-oxide commercial nuclear reactor fuel known as MOX from weapons-grade plutonium.

Meanwhile, the construction of a similar US plant in South Carolina has been years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

Started plant Russia said last year it had started up a plant that produces

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin visits a reserve for wild horses near the Urals city of Orenburg, about 1300 kilometers (800 miles) southeast yesterday. —AP

US of failing to meet its end of the deal. He also argued that the polic y change would give the US “return potential,” or a chance to recycle the material back into the weapons-grade plutonium.

Commenting on Putin’s move, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the US has “done all it could to destroy the atmosphere encouraging cooperation.” It cited US sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis and the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders as examples. “We would like to bring Washington back to understanding that it can’t introduce sanctions against us in areas where it’s quite painless for the Americans, and at the same time continue selective cooperation in areas it sees as advantageous,” it said.

A strain in US-Russian ties escalated in recent weeks followed the collapse of a truce in Syria and the Syrian army’s massive onslaught in Aleppo under the cover of Russian warplanes. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would be ready to restore the plutonium agreement if the US takes Russian concerns into account. —AP

Ohio plans execution using 3-drug combo COLUMBUS: Ohio plans to resume executions in January with a new three-drug combination after an unofficial three-year moratorium blamed on shortages of lethal drugs, an attorney representing the state told a federal judge yesterday.

The state outlined its plan to Columbus federal Judge Edmund Sargus in a hearing where The Associated Press was the only media outlet present. Thomas Madden with the Ohio attorney general’s office said the state will use the drugs midazolam, rocuronium bromide and potassium chloride. He said the drugs are not compounded and are FDA approved.

Madden said a new execution policy will be announced at the end of the week.

Attorneys representing death row inmates say they’ll file a new challenge almost immediately. The development opens the way for the execution of the Ronald Phillips for the rape and murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old

daughter in Akron in 1993.

Ohio hasn’t put anyone to death since January 2014, when Dennis McGuire repeatedly gasped and snorted during a 26-minute procedure using a never -before-tried twodrug combo. The state also used midazolam in McGuire’s execution, making it disappointing that Ohio would again turn to that drug, said Allen Bohnert, a federal public defender representing several death row inmates.

Ohio and other states have struggled since then to find legal supplies of execution drugs.

The state has more than two dozen inmates with firm execution dates sitting on death row, with executions scheduled out as far as October 2019.

After McGuire’s execution, the longest ever in Ohio using lethal drugs, the prisons agency changed its policies to allow for single doses of two alternative drugs. Complicating matters, neither of those drugs - sodium thiopental and pentobarbital - is available in the

United States after their manufacturers put them off-limits for executions.

The state has unsuccessfully tried to find compounded or specially mixed versions. Last year, Republican Gov. John Kasich ruled out looking for alternative methods, such as the firing squad or hanging.

In 2014, Kasich signed a bill into law shielding the names of companies that provide the state with lethal injection drugs. Supporters said such confidentiality is necessary to obtain supplies of the drugs, and the measure is needed to restart Ohio executions.

Opponents said it was naive to think the bill could truly protect companies’ names from being revealed.

In 2014, former federal Judge Gregory Frost sided with the state, saying the prisons agency ’s need to obtain the drugs outweighed concerns by death row inmates that the information was needed to meaningfully challenge the source of the drugs. —AP

RABAT: Moroccan Prime Minister and leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party, known as the PJD, Abdelilah Benkirane speaks about the upcoming nationwide legislative election, during an interview with The Associated Press at his home yesterday. —AP

Moroccan premier defends his record on extremism RABAT, MOROCCO: Morocco’s prime minister is calling his main political rival in this week’s elections a “liar” for claiming that state-funded associations are behind growing Islamic extremism among Moroccan youth.

In a sweeping interview yesterday with The Associated Press, Abdelilah Benkirane, acknowledged the challenges of stopping radicalization and balancing the budget, and called for greater attention to women’s issues.

Benkirane defended the record of his

moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development, which faces a tough challenge in Friday’s parliamentary elections from the Party of Authenticity and Modernity. He denied accusations by PAM’s leader that state-accredited associations are behind youth radicalization.

Benkirane says moderates with a “tolerant and enlightened” understanding of Islam need to be encouraged. Moroccan authorities dismantled a cell of women extremists yesterday linked to the Islamic State group. —AP

Turkey extends emergency for 90 days ISTANBUL: Turkey will extend a state of emergency imposed after the July failed coup for another three months starting from October 19, the government said yesterday. The decision was announced after a weekly cabinet meeting chaired

by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Erdogan last week suggested that the emergency could be in place for a year. “The state of emergency will be extended for another 90 days starting October 19 from 1 am,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told a news conference after the cabinet meeting.

The decision still needs to be put to vote in the 550-seat parliament but it is certain to be passed as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) enjoys a majority in the house. The opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has also voiced support for the extension.

The government says basic freedoms will not be undermined. It says the state of emergency is needed to hunt down suspects in the failed putsch, blamed by

authorities on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.

“The extension means we are still taking certain steps to address vital challenges to our democracy,” a senior Turkish official said on condition of anonymity. Gulen, who has lived in selfimposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied he was involved in the coup bid.

Coup used to stifle critics There are growing fears the emergency is being used by the government as a pretext to silence critics. The July 15 failed coup has already seen 32,000 suspects placed under arrest in an unprecedented crackdown that set off alarm bells in the West and in the United States.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has accused the government of using the abortive putsch to stifle dissent. The vast purge has touched every sector in Turkey, with those arrested ranging from top former generals to journalists. —AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

AP: Apprentice cast and crew say Trump was lewd and sexist Trump’s past continues to haunt him

WASHINGTON: US Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer, left, Clarence Thomas, center, and Anthony M. Kennedy, right, leave St. Mathews Cathedral, after the Red Mass on Sunday. —AP

Unusual start to new term: No arguments on Jewish New Year WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court yesterday opened an unusual term in an unusual way.

The justices met in public session for the first time since June, with one seat on the nine-member court empty as a result of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. It was the first time in 25 years the court has been at less than full strength at the start of a term, which occurs on the first Monday in October as prescribed by federal law.

The court also diverged from its usual practice of hearing cases on its first day because of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Three of the eight justices are Jewish, and the chairs of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan were empty as the court convened. As it gathered, the court rejected hundreds of appeals that accumulated over its long summer recess. Last week, the justices accepted eight new cases.

Arguments are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. But the justices will have to wait for the presidential election on November 8 to have a sense of who might join them as the ninth justice. President Barack Obama has nominated Judge Merrick Garland, but Senate Republicans have refused to act, saying the next president should fill the Scalia seat.

No blockbuster cases The cour t ’s calendar so far has no blockbuster cases like those of recent years dealing with health care, gay marriage and abortion rights. It does have a

church’s challenge to its exclusion from a Missouri state program to provide rubberized surfaces in playgrounds, a dispute over whether disparaging names can receive trademark protection from the government, two redistricting cases involving the rights of minority voters and two appeals from death row inmates in Texas.

The Missouri case about the separation of church and state was granted while Scalia was still alive and has yet to be scheduled for argument, possibly because the justices think they may divide 4-4. Tie votes leave the lower court decision in place, but set no national legal rule and essentially waste the justices’ time.

The rights of transgender people, immigration, climate change, voter identification and religious freedom are among other cases the court might consider later in the term. These are the sorts of issues that have split the court along ideological lines before.

The other big looming issue is when one or more of the older justices might retire. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 83 and has said she will take it a year at a time. She could find herself in a newly powerful role if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected, making her less likely to step down, said Thomas Goldstein, an attorney who argues regularly at the court.

The two other older justices are Stephen Breyer, 78, and Anthony Kennedy, who turned 80 this summer. He might see his influence diminish on a more liberal court. —AP

Supreme Court won’t hear Arizona death sentence case WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court won’t hear Arizona’s appeal of a lower court ruling that overturned a convicted murderer’s death sentence and opened the door for other death row inmates in the state to challenge their sentences.

The justices Monday let stand the ruling that said Arizona unconstitutionally excluded evidence about James McKinney’s troubled childhood and post-traumatic stress disorder that might have led to a lesser punish-

ment. McKinney was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death in 1993.

Fr o m 1 9 8 9 t o 2 0 0 5 , A r i z o n a’s highest court allowed leniency factors to be considered only if they were directly related to the crime committed. A divided 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that Arizona’s “causal nexus” test violated the Constitution. The state court abandoned the test in 2005. —AP

NEW YORK: In his years as a reality TV boss on “The Apprentice,” Donald Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language, according to show insiders who said he rated female contestants by the size of their breasts and talked about which ones he’d like to have sex with.

The Associated Press interviewed more than 20 people - former crew members, editors and contestants - who described crass behavior by Trump behind the scenes of the long-running hit show, in which aspiring capitalists were given tasks to perform as they competed for jobs working for him.

The staffers and contestants agreed to recount their experiences as Trump’s behavior toward women has become a core issue in the presidential campaign. Interviewed separately, they gave concurring accounts of inappropriate conduct on the set. Eight former crew members recalled that he repeatedly made lewd comments about a camerawoman he said had a nice rear, comparing her beauty to that of his daughter, Ivanka.

First season During one season, Trump called for female contestants to wear shorter dresses that also showed more cleavage, according to contestant Gene Folkes. Several cast members said Trump had one female contestant twirl before him so he could ogle her figure.

Randal Pinkett, who won the program in December 2005 and who has recently criticized Trump during his run for president, said he remembered the real estate mogul talking about which female contestants he wanted to sleep with, even though Trump had married former model Melania Knauss earlier that year: “He was like ‘Isn’t she hot, check her out,’ kind of gawking, something to the effect of ‘I’d like to hit that.’ “ The Trump campaign issued a general denial.

“These outlandish, unsubstantiated, and totally false claims fabricated by publicity hungry, opportunistic, disgruntled former employees, have no merit whatsoever,” said Hope Hicks, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman. “ The Apprentice was one of the most successful prime-time television shows of all time and employed hundreds of people over many years, many of whom support Mr. Trump’s candidacy.”

She declined to answer specific questions that were emailed and declined an interview request.

Sleeping preference Former producer Katherine Walker said Trump frequently talked about women’s bodies during the five seasons she worked with him and said he speculated about which female contestant would be “a tiger in bed.” A former crew member who signed a non-disclosure agreement and asked not to be identified, recalled that Trump asked male contestants whether they would sleep with a particular female contestant, then expressed his own interest.

“We were in the boardroom one time figuring out who to blame for the task, and he just stopped in the middle and pointed to someone and said, ‘You’d f... her, wouldn’t you? I’d f... her.

C’mon, wouldn’t you?’”The person continued: “Everyone is trying to make him stop talking, and the woman is shrinking in her seat.”

Other cast and crew interviewed said they had positive, professional experiences with Trump, and added that they had never heard comments that made them uncomfortable.

“He was extremely supportive. You could tell there was so much respect there on all sides, especially with the female athletes,” said contestant and U.S. softball star Jennie Finch, a twotime Olympian. “Obviously, he was complimentary, but never in an inappropriate way.”

Contestant Poppy Carlig, who performed the twirl, said she considered Trump’s request “playful banter.” She added: “I don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that people are having bad

How the Trump and Clinton tax plans would affect Americans WASHINGTON: For America’s wealthiest families, the presidential campaign presents a stark choice: A big tax increase if Hillary Clinton wins the election - or a big tax cut if Donald Trump wins. For everyone else? Right now, neither candidate is proposing major tax changes.

Tax policy is one of the issues on which the two nominees differ most.

Their approaches are likely to draw new attention in the wake of a New York Times report that Trump’s nearly $916 million in losses in 1995, according to tax records the paper received anonymously, means he may not have paid federal income taxes for as many as 18 years.

On trade, Clinton has backed off her previous support for free trade agreements and, like Trump, now opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pact involving the US and 11 other nations. Trump has said he will spend twice as much on building and repairing roads, airports and other infrastructure as Clinton would.

On trade and infrastruc ture spending, Trump has taken a populist approach that jettisons Republican orthodoxy. But on taxes, his proposed tax cuts for individuals and businesses are more in line with previous Republican candidates and elected officials. After two previous tries, he provided more details on his tax plans in a speech in New York last week - although he left one key component unclear.

Clinton, for her part, is proposing to raise taxes for the wealthiest

households to pay for traditional Democratic proposals such as expanding access to higher education. “Here, at least, they fall into very much traditional Democratic and Republican proposals,” said William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Center, a joint projec t of the Brook ings Institution and Urban Institute.

On taxes, the two candidates remain far apart. Here are summaries of their proposals: Taxes on higher incomes TRUMP: He would cut the top income tax bracket to 33 percent from its current level of 39.6 percent.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has made the same proposal, which the conservative Tax Foundation said would help boost after-tax income for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans by 5.3 percent. Trump would also cap tax deductions at $200,000 per household.

CLINTON: She is proposing several tax increases on wealthier Americans, including a 4 percent surcharge on incomes above $5 million, effectively creating a new top bracket of 43.6 percent. And those earning more than $1 million a year would be subject to a minimum 30 percent tax rate. She would also cap the value of many tax deduc tions for wealthier taxpayers. All the changes would increase taxes in 2017 for the richest 1 percent by $78,284, reducing their after-tax income by 5 percent, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Taxes on middle incomes TRUMP: Would reduce the seven tax brackets in current law to three, at 12 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent. He’d also raise the standard deduction to $15,000 for singles and $30,000 for households.

CLINTON: Says she will not raise taxes on the middle class. Her current proposals would have little impact on the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Corporate tax rate TRUMP: Would cut the corporate rate from its current 35 percent to 15 percent.

It’s unclear however, if he’d allow “pass through” corporations, which pay taxes on revenue as personal income, to claim the 15 percent rate. Doing so would cost an extra $1.5 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, which supports lower tax rates.

CLINTON: Would not change the corporate tax rate.

“CARRIED INTEREST” LOOPHOLE TRUMP: Managers for private equity firms and hedge funds can classify their investment profits as “carried interest” and pay capital gains taxes on their income at rates that can be as low as half the regular income tax rate.

Trump says he would eliminate the loophole, but hedge fund and private equity managers would be able to pay even lower tax rates should Trump let pass-throughs enjoy his lower 15 percent rate.

CLINTON: Would eliminate the loophole and tax carried interest as ordinary income. —AP

intentions with what they are saying. He said I reminded him of his daughter and I thought that was really touching because I know how much he values his family.”

Twelve former contestants or members of the crew spoke on the record about what they described as Trump’s inappropriate behavior.

Another nine spoke to the AP about their concerns regarding Trump’s treatment of female colleagues but said they did not want to be identified because they signed non-disclosure agreements, or were concerned about wrecking their careers or retaliation from Trump.

Most offered no opinion on the November election in the course of their interviews, but the majority of those who did said only that they were not supporting Trump.

Hiring of women Trump points to his record of hiring women, but he has often been accused of sexist behavior; at the first Republican debate, in August 2015, Fox anchor Megyn Kelly asked whether a man who has called women “fat pigs, dogs, slobs

nessman’s treatment of women was sometimes far from professional.

Walker, who said she was the only high-level female producer during the first season, said Trump turned to her during a break outside of the control room to ask who he should fire.

Walker demurred, she said, but noted that team members had told her one contestant had caused her team to lose their business task.

Trump raised his hands and cupped them to his chest to ask whether it was a contestant with large breasts, she said.

“He said, ‘You mean the one with the’ - and he puts his hands out in a gesture to signal the girl with the giant boobs. He didn’t even know her name,” Walker said, adding that the contestant, Kristi Frank, was fired at the end of the episode.

“I thought he noticed my hard work, but I guess he didn’t,” said Frank, a former restaurant owner who studied industrial engineering.

She said that after Trump delivered his punch line “You’re fired!” he told her fiancÈ that “of all the girls,” she was the contestant he would have chosen to marry. “It makes me a little sick,” Frank

PASADENA: In this Jan. 16, 2015 file photo, Donald Trump, host of the reality television series “The Celebrity Apprentice,” poses for photographers at the NBC 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour. —AP and disgusting animals” has the temperament to be president. After that debate, Trump attacked Kelly and her questioning, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”

The remarks of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who said Trump called her “Miss Piggy” because she’d gained weight during her reign, became campaign fodder last week following the first presidential debate. Trump used to own the pageant.

NBC, which broadcast the hit series, referred questions to executive producer Mark Burnett, whose studio referred calls to a public relations firm. The public relations firm did not respond to multiple voicemails and emails seeking comment. AP previously asked Burnett to provide original footage for review, but those calls were not returned.

Debuting in 2004, “The Apprentice” and a spinoff, “Celebrity Apprentice,” propelled Trump to national stardom following a string of bankruptcies and bad business deals in the 1990s that had splintered his New York-based real estate empire. The series, meant to showcase Trump’s business acumen, became a major hit and Trump’s name became a global brand that helped launch his political career.

But on the set, usually inside Trump Tower, the former cast and crew members say, the busi-

said. “It’s kind of sweet, but it makes me feel like ‘OK, he’s checking me out again.’”

Rate her attractiveness In portions of boardroom sessions never broadcast, Trump frequently would ask male contestants to rate the attractiveness of their female competitors, former crew members and contestants said.

“If there was a break in the conversation, he would then look at one of the female cast members, saying ‘you’re looking kind of hot today, I love that dress on you,’ then he would turn to one of the male cast members and say ‘wouldn’t you sleep with her?’ and then everyone would laugh,” said a former crew member who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a non-disclosure agreement. “There would be about 10 or 12 cameras rolling and getting that footage, which is why everybody was like, this guy just doesn’t care.”

Trump would carry on with the questions even if all involved were married, said Gene Folkes, who appeared on the program in 2010.

“If you didn’t answer, he would dig in and say, ‘Do you think so and so is attractive? Would you sleep with her? Well, what about if you really had to, would you?’” Folkes said. “It was so bizarre, because he (otherwise) seemed so professional.” —AP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Merkel greeted with shouts of ‘Get out’ in Dresden DRESDEN, GERMANY: Germany ’s Chancellor Angela Merkel was greeted yesterday by whistles and shouts of “Get out” after arriving in Dresden-birthplace of xenophobic movement Pegida-for German reunification celebrations.

The angry crowd also waved signs saying “Merkel must go” in the east German city, where some 2,600 police were deployed as a security precaution.

The German leader has been under pressure at home over her liberal refugee policy that saw an influx of nearly 900,000 migrants last year.

Dresden is hosting national celebrations to mark 26 years since the reunification of East and West Germany, with the chancellor and President Joachim Gauck in attendance. Supporters of Pegida, the anti-immigrant, xenophobic group that began in Dresden, also gave Gauck a hostile greeting upon his

arrival. The group initially drew just a few hundred supporters to its demonstrations before gaining strength, peaking with rallies of up to 25,000 people in early 2015.

Though Merkel’s conser vative Christian Democrats (CDU) took a drubbing in recent regional polls, she insisted on the sidelines of Monday’s celebrations that “mutual respect” and “acceptance of very divergent political opinions” are needed to meet the challenges facing Germany.

Norbert Lammert, the speaker of the German parliament, took aim at those who “whistle and shout” but who “clearly don’t have the slightest memory of the condition of this city and this region were in before reunification”. The rightwing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) harnessed a wave of anger over the refugee influx to claim

around 14 percent of the vote last month in Berlin state.

Its success has mirrored the march of anti-migrant parties in France, Austria and the Netherlands as well as Republican maverick Donald Trump in the United States. Bomb attacks hit a mosque and an international convention centre in Dresden last week, with police suspecting xenophobic and nationalist motives.

Saxony, of which Dresden is the state capital, saw far-right hate crimes targeting shelters for asylum seekers rise to 106 in 2015, with another 50 recorded in the first half of this year.

In an annual repor t outlining progress since reunification, the government warned last week that growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany. —AFP

DRESDEN, SAXONY, GERMANY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) and the Prime Minister for the federal state of Saxony Stanislaw Tillich (L) arrive at the Semperoper Opera House during celebrations of the Day of German Unity yesterday. —AFP

Romania: Ex-minister, others get prison sentences for bribes BUCHAREST: A former Romanian minister, a former mayor and two businessmen were handed prison sentences yesterday and will have millions of Euros taken from them in punishment for money-laundering, influence-peddling and taking bribes.

The High Court of Cassation and Justice sentenced Gheorghe Stefan, former mayor of Piatra Neamt, to six years for influencepeddling and ordered that some 4 million Euros ($4.5 million) be confiscated from him. He admitted wrongdoing and said he deserved the punishment.

Former telecommunications minister Gabriel Sandu was sentenced to three years for bribery and money-laundering and 2.2 million Euros were ordered confiscated. Sandu admitted wrongdoing and had asked for a suspended sentence.

Businessman Dorin Cocos and Nicolae

Dumitru both received sentences of 2 years and four months for influence-peddling and money laundering. The court ordered 9 million Euros confiscated from Cocos and 2.8 million from Dumitru. The rulings are final.

Cocos apologized for wrongdoing and said he would not break the law again.

Dumitru broke down in tears saying he “deeply regretted” what he’d done and asked for a suspended sentence.

Anti-corruption prosecutors said under the terms of a 2004 government contract with Microsoft for computers licensed for schools, the four maneuvered to pocket a 47-percent discount offered by Microsoft.

Some 15.7 million Euros were paid to their companies. By 2009, when the contract expired, the state had bought more than 150,000 licenses.—AP

Hollande would not even get run at re-election: Poll

TALLINN: New Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid gives a press conference at Riigikogu, the Estonian parliament yesterday. —AFP

Surprise candidate voted Estonia’s first woman president A month-long political stalemate ended TALLINN: Estonia’s parliament yesterday elected surprise candidate Kersti Kaljulaid as the first woman president of the tech-savvy Baltic state, breaking a month-long political stalemate.

The non-aligned 46-year-old member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for keeping watch over EU finances, won the support of 81 of Estonia’s 101 members of parliament. A mother of four and a grandmother, Kaljulaid will take over as NATO nation’s fifth president since independence in 1991 as Tallinn gears up for the EU’s rotating six-month presidency next July.

The head of state plays a largely ceremonial role in the eurozone country of 1.3 million people and is elected by parliament or electoral college rather than direct public vote. Women’s right are already highly developed in Estonia, but Kaljulaid’s election is still seen as an important first.

Her background as an auditor is likely to go down well in the fiscally conservative nation.

With its debt-to-GDP ratio hovering around 10 percent, Tallinn has long insisted other eurozone members ought to adopt its strict fiscal disci-

pline. Kaljulaid was nominated last week as a dark horse candidate after favorites, including former foreign minister Marina Kaljurand and former prime minister and European commissioner Siim Kallas, failed to win in two previous rounds of voting in August and September.

Liberal streak Although Kaljulaid has had a successful international career over the last 12 years as an EU auditor, she is not a household name in Estonia.

“Kaljuoulaid is rather unknown by the Estonian public and she will need to present her views to the people,” Tonis Saarts, a political scientist at Tallinn University, told AFP. “Therefore the first period of her presidency will most likely focus more on domestic affairs rather than international relations, making her a very different head of state than the predecessor Toomas Hendrik Ilves.”

Known for his sharp tongue and fondness of bow-ties and tweeting, Ilves gave the role a strong international dimension due to his flair for foreign affairs. A trained biologist specializing in genetics, Kaljulaid also also holds an MBA

from University of Tartu. In the late nineties she worked as investment banker at Hansapank that was later taken over by Swedbank.

In 1999, Kaljulaid joined the office of the Estonian prime minister Mart Laar as an economic policy adviser. In early 2000s she managed the Iru power plant near Tallinn. She also co-hosted a weekly radio program on political and economic affairs for the popular Kuku Radio station and has said she views education and health as key areas of concern.

Kaljulaid has also described herself as economically conservative with a strong liberal streak on social issues. Her daughter and son from her first marriage are already grown-ups, while her two younger sons are 11 and 6years-old.

Husband Georgi-Rene Maksimovski, a publicity-shy communication engineer, gave up his public service career to support her work at the European Court of Auditors. Estonia’s head of state gives legislation its final seal of approval after checking its constitutionality. Presidents can remain in office for up to two consecutive five-year terms at a time.—AFP

PARIS: Francois Hollande’s distant prospects of winning a second term as French president were further dented yesterday when a poll suggested he would not even win the endorsement of his own Socialist Party’s supporters.

Opinion polls have for many months shown Hollande losing the May presidential election to all likely adversaries, but the new poll pointed to him being defeated in the party’s candidate selection process by former industr y minister Arnaud Montebourg.

Montebourg, 53, who made his mark by espousing a markedly leftist line, announced on Sunday that he would take part in the January pre-selection contest.

The BVA-Salesforce poll, conducted from Sept. 13 to Sept. 20, showed him winning the left-wing primary with 52 percent of votes versus 48 percent for Hollande.

The 62-year-old Hollande is France’s most unpopular leader in modern history and has yet to declare his intention, but is expected to do so in December. The elec-

tion is likely to come down to a second round battle between the centre-right party ticket - most likely former prime minister Alain Juppe or former president Nicolas Sarkozy - and far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen. Montebourg made his mark in 2011 by winning a surprisingly large 17 percent of votes in the primar y where Hollande secured the Socialist Party ticket, after which he went on to beat Sarkozy in the May 2012 ballot.

Despite a remit to help secure a renewal of industry and stem a haemorrhage of industrial jobs to lower-wage countries in eastern Europe, Montebourg’s ministerial term in Hollande’s government was marked by several high-profile factory closures.

He has not always spoken kindly of the president. When Hollande’s now former partner, Segolene Royal, was running for president in 2007, Montebourg, her spokesman at the time, famously said Royal “has only one flaw - her companion”.—Reuters

Slovenia starts transfer of WWII mass grave remains

MADRID: A woman rolls up a poster with the photograph of Spain’s Socialist party leader Pedro Sanchez outside the party headquarters on Saturday. —AP

Spain impasse set to continue despite Socialist resignation MADRID: Spain’s political impasse looks set to continue for some time. The leading opposition Socialist party says that it’s up to its federal committee to decide whether to change the party’s stance against allowing acting Premier Mariano Rajoy of the rival Popular Party to form a minority government.

Javier Fernandez, caretaker Socialist leader following the weekend resignation of Pedro Sanchez, said yesterday that the

committee would meet but he couldn’t say when. He said his main task was to restore unity following the crisis triggered by those who opposed Sanchez’s stance of blocking Rajoy.

Sanchez’s departure raises the possibility the Socialists may alter that stance and help end Spain’s nine-month stalemate following two inconclusive elections. Parliament has until Oct. 31 to form a government or a new election must be held. —AP

LJUBLJANA: Slovenian authorities yesterday started transferring the remains of some 800 people killed and dumped in a mine by communist dictator Tito’s forces in the aftermath of World War II. Authorities first opened the Huda Jama mine, some 80 kilometers northeast of Ljubljana, in 2009, one of hundreds of mass graves believed to be dotted around the former Yugoslav republic.

Investigators first found a horizontal chamber with the mummified remains of over 400 people but later discovered another 45-metre (150-feet) vertical cavity containing yet more. “We calculate between 2,200 and 2,500 bodies might be in that chamber,” historian Mitja Ferenc, member of special commission investigating mass graves, told the Delo daily.

He said that most of the victims were Croat and Slovene soldiers and civilians who had collaborated-or were thought to have collaborated-with the Nazis and then executed, of ten without trial.

Slovenian President Borut Pahor, attending a ceremony on Monday at the site, said the first 800 bodies will be transferred to a memorial centre at Dobrova, west of Ljubljana, by the end of October and the rest next year.

DNA samples will also be taken in order to help identify the dead. “Reconciliation is possible only once we are ready to forgive and to admit the truth even if it is painful, hard and incriminating,” Pahor said during the ceremony, attended by victims’ relatives.

Ferenc said the wartime mass graves commission has registered some 700 possible mass grave sites in which some 15,000 people are believed to be buried. —AFP

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande (L) attends a meeting with Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (R) at the Elysee Palace yesterday. —AFP

Moscow says its Syria bombing ‘highly effective’ MOSCOW: Moscow yesterday insisted its bombing campaign in Syria was “highly effective”, denying its jets struck hospitals as a brutal onslaught against rebel-held Aleppo has sparked accusations of war crimes.

Deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov said Russia’s air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime had stopped jihadists taking over the country.

“From this perspective our participation has been highly effective, especially now when the situation around Aleppo has worsened,” he was quoted as saying by Russian wires.

Moscow has been accused of indiscriminately bombing Aleppo’s opposition-controlled east as it helps an offensive currently being conducted by Syrian government troops to capture all of the country’s second city.

The largest hospital in eastern Aleppo was bombed over the weekend for the second time in days as the UN’s top aid official

decried the “living hell” suffered by locals.

Russia has repeatedly denied that its strikes have hit hospitals and other civilian facilities. “Accusations that Russia is allegedly bombing medical facilities, hospitals, schools are all baseless,” Gatilov said.

A short-lived truce brokered by Moscow and Washington earlier this month could have led the two countries to coordinate strikes against jihadists, but the deal quickly fell apart.

The United Nations has warned that a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Aleppo unlike any witnessed so far in Syria’s brutal five-year war, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives.

Moscow said last week that it was continuing its year-long Syrian air campaign in spite of US warnings that Washington would suspend talks unless Moscow stopped its assault on Aleppo. Gatilov said Russia was working to agree with Washington on “what needs to be done to renew the cessation of hostilities.”—AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Indonesian jailed over IS-linked terror plots JAKARTA: An Indonesian militant was jailed for six years yesterday over a series of failed plots hatched under the guidance of an Indonesian jihadist fighting with the Islamic State group in Syria.

Arif Hidayatullah plotted to assassinate Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian, and bomb a Jewish community centre and a mosque used by members of the Muslim Shia minority, a court heard. The 31-yearold, who was detained last December on the outskirts of Jakarta, did not carry out any of his plans

because he was not confident his homemade bombs were ready.

The Jakarta court heard he concocted the plots under the wing of Bahrun Naim, a leading Indonesian militant fighting with IS, who has been linked to several botched assaults in his homeland, from a plot to fire a rocket at Singapore to a suicide attack on a police station.

There has been an upsurge of violence and attempted attacks in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country over the past year due to

the growing influence of IS. Hidayatullah was found guilty of possessing explosive materials intended for use in terror attacks. “The defendant is declared to be convincingly guilty of terrorism offences and is sentenced to six years in prison,” Judge Siti Jamzanah told the court.

He also helped five Indonesians travel to Syria and helped a Uighur radical enter Indonesia, the court heard. The Uighur was later arrested outside Jakarta as he prepared to carry out a suicide bombing. Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic mili-

tancy, suffering attacks in the 2000s including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed over 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

A sustained crackdown weakened the most dangerous networks but IS has proved a potent new rallying cry for Indonesia’s radicals, stoking fears that militants fighting with the group could seek to organize attacks back home.

In January an IS-claimed suicide bombing and gun attack in Jakarta left four civilians and four attackers dead.—AFP

Indonesian police investigate porn on electronic billboard JAKARTA: Police in Indonesia’s capital are investigating the operator of a public video screen that briefly displayed a pornographic movie instead of advertising to passing traffic. Ten people, including employees of the company operating the electronic billboard, have been questioned, Jakarta police spokesman Awi Setiyono said yesterday. Police can’t yet name a suspect, he added.

Twitter in social media-mad Indonesia was abuzz with news of the incident, which occurred not long after Friday prayers last week in the Muslim-majority country. Many users posted clips of the billboard as it displayed a scene from Japanese pornography on an internet browser.

Adrian Wiedarta, a manager at PT

Transito Adimanjati, which operates the advertising screen, blamed the incident on a hacker who he said seized control of the system, allowing pornography to play for about five minutes. Police assisted by nearby vendors shut off power to the giant video screen as drivers and pedestrians watched the movie.

Setiyono said the police’s cybercrime unit has analyzed several computers seized from the company. Jakarta police chief Muhammad Iriawan said the perpetrator could be charged under either the Electronic Transaction Law, which carries a maximum prison sentence of six years and a fine of 1 billion rupiah ($77,000), or the Pornography Law, which carries a prison sentence of up to 12 years. —AP

Developments regarding the South China Sea PYEONGTAEK, SOUTH KOREA: In this Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 file photo, a US Air Force B-1B bomber take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, lands at Osan Air Base. —AP

The Koreas trade threats over pre-emptive strike More detailed than ever TOKYO: Since North Korea’s latest nuclear test, Pyongyang and Seoul have been openly trading threats of decapitation strikes and annihilating capitals populated by millions of civilians. And the talk of how each side might throw that first pre-emptive punch has become more detailed than ever.

Seoul and Pyongyang are now making a point of claiming they are justified, and capable, of striking hard if an attack by the other appears imminent: North Korea with its rapidly developing nuclear arsenal, Seoul with conventional missile attacks and commando operations explicitly aimed at killing Kim Jong Un and his top commanders. Swings of tension from crisis levels to business as usual, with the white noise of bellicose rhetoric always in the background, have been a fact of life for decades on the divided Korean Peninsula. But with pre-emptive strike scenarios now coming out in the open, there may be new cause for real concern.

Here’s a look at why, from the perspectives of the North, the South and the United States: Pyongyang doubles down Since assuming power in late 2011, Kim has made major strides toward making his country a credible nuclear threat. This year alone, the North has conducted two nuclear tests, its latest and biggest on Sept. 9. It has test-launched several long-range missiles, including at least one from a submarine, and generally demonstrated it’s moving toward a stealthier, deploymentready nuclear and missile arsenal.

Pyongyang may now be capable of launching a nuclear attack on Seoul, which is only about 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of the Demilitarized Zone, and on the roughly 28,000 US troops deployed in the South. Also possibly within striking distance are Japan, home to another 50,000 US troops, and even the US territory of Guam, a key Pacific military hub about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) away.

It’s closer than ever to having nuclear-tipped missiles able to reach the US mainland.

Having the weaponry and being able to successfully use it are two different things. Experts have mixed opinions on whether the North can actually mount nuclear weapons on its longrange missiles, and on how reliable either would be. North Korea has effectively held Seoul hostage for decades with dug-in, well-hidden artillery that could cause massive damage on the crowded South Korean capital and its suburbs. But the immediate US-South Korean counterattack would be devastating.

But by introducing nuclear weapons into the equation, Pyongyang is trying to strengthen its hand - in deterrence, in an actual contingency or at the negotiating table should meaningful talks with Washington resume.

It’s a risky, costly and extremely dangerous gambit, and North Korea appears to be doubling down. In March, its state media reported that Kim personally supervised a drill simulating an attack on the Blue House, South Korea’s presidential residence. Late last month, the North’s military issued a statement threatening to use nuclear weapons to reduce Seoul to ashes and “sweep Guam, the base of provocations, from the surface of the earth.” On Sunday, state media again warned the North is ready to act at the “slightest sign of intrusion.”

South Korea preps to take out Kim Obviously, a “decapitation strike” scenario aimed at North Korea’s leadership is something the South would quietly consider - that’s what military strategists are paid to do. North Korea attempted one against South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1968; it was a disaster.

But Seoul is now showing its cards South Korean media started talking about them in August 2015, when a South Korean defense official said “beheading operations” would be part of a new joint wartime plan. US and South Korean troops reportedly conducted such training during joint exercises in March.

Some military experts say such exercises aren’t new, but the reports outraged Pyongyang.

Seoul’s rhetoric is now even more pointed.

Shortly after last month’s nuclear test, its Joint Chiefs of Staff announced plans to strengthen its ability to conduct pre-emptive strikes. And it said a “Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation” system would use special forces, the Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile and the Hyunmoo-3 cruise missile - now under development - to, as one South Korean newspaper put it, “obliterate areas where Kim Jong Un and the rest of North Korea’s leaders are located.”

Kim Dae Young, a military expert at South Korea’s Korea Defense and Security Forum, questioned whether the South could pull off a preemptive strike without nuclear weapons.

“Pyongyang’s subways run 100 to 150 meters (328 to 492 feet) deep. South Korea could fire all of its cruise missiles and ballistic missiles onto Pyongyang and it would still be difficult to break the tunnels,” he said. “If you’re able to take out Kim Jong Un on the first try, good. But if you fail, then you come under a nuclear attack.”

Conservative lawmakers, scholars and media agencies are calling for South Korea to develop its own nukes and ask the US to reintroduce tactical nuclear weapons into South Korea. Officials say they have no plans for such changes, which would infuriate neighbors China, Russia and Japan and fly in the face of longstanding US military policy.

Patience and worry in Washington With presidential elections just over a month away, Washington has been sticking to President Barack Obama’s longstanding policy of “strategic patience” - keeping Pyongyang at arm’s length, building regional alliances and isolating the North’s government.

It has recently flown B-1B bombers over the Korean Peninsula and is moving ahead with the deployment of its top-of-the-line THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, though China sees THAAD as a threat to its own defense.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia, assured Congress last week the US has plans in place for “de-escalating and defusing” a crisis. He said South Korea’s official statements on pre-emption did not show it has any intent “to take precipitous or provocative action.”

Even so, some in Washington view the escalation as disconcerting. “Discussions of things like pre-emption in public obviously add a troubling element to peninsular dynamics,” said Evans Revere, a former State Department official and East Asia expert. Revere blamed Pyongyang for its rapid nuclear and missile buildup. He said Seoul’s logic in allowing stories about exercise scenarios to leak out is to “maximize the deterrent message” and to reassure South Koreans.

That, too, is a risky game.

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, also at last week’s Senate hearing, warned that if North Korea believes the South intends to use preemptive force to kill its leaders, Kim Jong Un would be under pressure to delegate control over nuclear weapons to front-line military commanders. If the North believes Seoul plans to pre -emptively take out its nuclear weapons, he added, that could also create pressure to “use them or lose them in a crisis.” “Both of those pressures could drastically increase the risk of inadvertent nuclear war on the peninsula,” he said. Talmadge has been the AP’s Pyongyang bureau chief since 2013. AP writers Kim Tonghyung and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.—AP

A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: Singapore says Chinese newspaper “fabricated” report Singapore accused a nationalist Chinese state-run newspaper of fabricating details in a news report that it said falsely depicted the city-state’s conduct at a recent summit in Venezuela.

The Global Times report, published on its Chinese-language website, said that Singapore requested that the final document of the 17th Non-Aligned Movement summit include an endorsement for an international arbitration panel’s July ruling favoring the Philippines in its dispute with China over the South China Sea. The report cited unnamed sources it said “had knowledge of the situation.”

The report said that most of the countries objected to the Singaporean delegation’s request, angering the delegation. The newspaper said the delegation also spoke rudely to those countries’ officials.

The report triggered an unusually public dispute between Singapore’s ambassador to China and the chief editor of the tabloid newspaper, which is published by the ruling Communist Party ’s mouthpiece People’s Daily. The outspoken paper targets a domestic audience for whom nationalistic appeals resonate strongly.

In an open letter to the Global Times’ editor-in-chief, the ambassador, Stanley Loh, said that the report “attributed actions and words to Singapore which are false and unfounded.” In the letter, Loh said that “the proposal to update the Southeast Asia paragraphs in the NAM Final Document was not done at the last minute nor by any single ASEAN country. There was a common and united ASEAN position.”

It said that Singapore was “disappointed that an established newspaper published this irresponsible report replete with fabrications and unfounded allegations with no regard for the facts,” and noted that Singapore was represented at the summit, while China was not.

The editor-in-chief of the Global Times, Hu Xijin, stood his ground against Loh’s accusations, saying that the report “was based on a serious and reliable source who attended the summit,” according to the newspaper. The ambassador wrote a second letter aimed at refuting Hu’s response.

Singapore doesn’t have any claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea and its officials say it is interested in safeguarding the stability of the region’s waterways.

Philippine President says he’ll end joint drills with US Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was giving notice to the United States, his country’s long-standing ally, that joint exercises between Filipino and American troops this week will be the last such drills. He told the Filipino community in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, last week that he will maintain the military alliance with the US because of the countries’ 1951

defense treaty. But he said this week’s exercises will proceed only because he did not want to embarrass his defense secretary.

Duterte said during a two-day visit to meet Vietnam’s leaders that he wants to establish new trade and commercial alliances with China and Russia, and that the war games were something Beijing does not want. “I would serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise,” he said. “Jointly, Philippines-US, the last one.”

His foreign secretary quickly said the decision was not final. Such a step would impede Washington’s plans to expand the footprint of US forces in Southeast Asia to counter China. The US Embassy in Manila said Washington had not been formally notified by the Philippines of any cancellation of combat drills after this week’s maneuvers, called Phiblex. The Philippine Defense Department has yet to clarify Duterte’s remarks.

The previous Philippine government signed a 2014 defense pact to give the US forces access to five Philippine military bases. That reflected Manila’s anxiety over the territorial ambitions of China, with which it has competing claims in the disputed South China Sea. Duterte, however, said Sunday that the accord was only signed by the Philippine defense chief then and not by the president, suggesting the accord can still be pushed back.

Defense Chief says US to “sharpen our military edge” in Asia Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US will “sharpen our military edge” in Asia and the Pacific in order to remain a dominant power in a region feeling the effects of China’s rising military might.

Carter made the pledge in a speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in port in San Diego. The Pentagon chief described what he called the next phase of a US pivot to Asia - a rebalancing of American security commitments after years of heavy focus on the Middle East.

His speech was aimed at reassuring allies unsettled by China’s behavior in the South China Sea. With a broad complaint that China is “sometimes behaving aggressively,” Carter alluded to Beijing’s building of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. “Beijing sometimes appears to want to pick and choose which principles it wants to benefit from and which it prefers to try to undercut,” he said. “For example, the universal right to freedom of navigation that allows China’s ships and aircraft to transit safely and peacefully is the same right that Beijing criticizes other countries for exercising in the region. But principles are not like that. They apply to everyone, and every nation, equally.” Singapore calls for practical ways to defuse south china sea incidents Singapore’s defense minister said that countries need to look for practical ways to defuse incidents in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands. — A

Thai university massacre casts forty year shadow BANGKOK: Under leaden monsoon skies, Seri Sirinupong watches teams of youngsters warm up on Thammasat University’s football pitch, the scene of a brutal student massacre forty years ago

by Thai security forces and ultra-monarchist militias. Like many survivors, Seri will never forget the horrors of October 6, 1976 one of the darkest episodes in Thailand’s turbulent modern history.

“There was blood all over the football field,” the 77-year-old recalls of the crackdown on prodemocracy protesters. “I don’t know how I survived, maybe it was divine intervention,” said Seri, a former civil servant who was jailed for two years for joining the protests.

In Thailand’s long history of political violence and coups, the Thammasat University massacre stands out for its brutality. Pro-democracy students had massed in revulsion at the return to Thailand of an ousted ex-dictator after a threeyear exile. But Thai security forces, aided by royalist mobs, ended the protest with an attack that saw possibly scores of students shot, battered or stabbed to death — with others hung from trees inside the campus. The violence ended a brief

three-year flirtation with democracy and ushered in another 16-years of military-led rule. No state official has ever been held accountable for the deaths. Thai generals are again in control of the country. The latest coup in 2014 — the army’s twelfth successful power grab-came four years after soldiers once more turned their guns on pro-democracy protesters on Bangkok’s streets.

“It’s a loop,” said Chutavuth Savetasavanond, 21, an international studies student, standing near the gates to Thammasat’s riverside campus where the massacre began. “One moment of democracy, then dictatorship, then democracy and then dictatorship”.

Lottery of survival Thailand has come a long way since 1976 when the then staunch US-ally seemed poised to fall to communism like many Southeast Asian nations. Four decades on, Thailand’s neighbours are either authoritarian one-party states or emerging democracies. Thailand is stuck somewhere in between-unable to break its cycle of military interventions or embed democratic govern-

ment. For the students who gathered in huge numbers at Thammasat in 1976, momentum was on their side. Their protests began in late September against the return of ex-dictator Thanom Kittikachorn, who had been forced into exile three years earlier by another student-led uprising at Thammasat.

By the first days of October thousands had massed at Thammasat, buoyed by their numbers and determination to block any potential comeback by Thanom. But tensions were high.

Radio broadcasts had for weeks decried the left-wing Thammasat as a den of communist insurgency bent on toppling the monarchy-an institution shielded from criticism by law. Then on October 4 students staged a play on campus reenacting the recent lynching of two activists by police. Deliberately or not, one of the student actors bore a passing resemblance to Thailand’s Crown Prince. The spark was lit. Security forces, many armed with automatic rifles, surrounded the university backed by two royalist and vehemently anti-communist militias-the Village Scouts and the Red Gaurs. — AFP

CORONADO, CALIFORNIA: In this Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 file photo, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks to sailors on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson at Naval Air Station, North Island.—AP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

NEWS

People pose for photos before a sculture reading ‘I Seoul U’ at Yeouido park in Seoul yesterday. In October 2015, ‘I Seoul U’ was chosen as the official slogan to represent the city with domestic media citing concerns that it would likely attract international ridicule as not just uninspiring, but also making little sense in English. — AFP

Japanese wins Nobel for cell ‘recycling’

Kuwait’s exports down 25.8% in Q2

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

Ohsumi, 71, received a PhD from the University of Tokyo in 1974. He is currently a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

The prize comes with eight million Swedish kronor (around $936,000). “This is the highest honor for a researcher,” Ohsumi told Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. “My motto is to do what others don’t want to do. I thought (cellular breakdown) was very interesting. This is where it all begins. It didn’t draw much attention in the past, but we’re now in a time when there is a bigger focus on it,” added Ohsumi.

The medicine prize is awarded by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, which has seen a shadow cast over its reputation following a recent scandal involving Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. In 2011, while working as a visiting professor at Karolinska, Macchiarini soared to fame for inserting the first synthetic trachea, or windpipe, using patients’ stem cells.

His work was initially hailed as a game-changer for transplant medicine. But two patients died and a third was left severely ill.

Allegations ensued that the risky procedure had been carried out on at least one individual who had not, at the time, been critically ill, and in 2014 several surgeons at Karolinska filed a complaint alleging that Macchiarini had downplayed the risks of the procedure. Karolinska suspended all synthetic trachea transplants shortly after and fired Macchiarini. Two members of the Nobel medicine prize assembly were forced to step down in September over the scandal.

The 2016 Nobel season continues today with the physics prize announcement, with the discovery of gravitational waves seen as a potential winner. The first observation of gravitational waves was announced in Feb 2016, a major research breakthrough that confirms one of Albert Einstein’s predictions in his theory of general relativity. The chemistry prize, announced on Wednesday, could go to classic research

Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, exports to GCC countries totaled KD 133 million from KD 157.7 million, a decrease of 15.6 percent. The share of the GCC countries was 3.7 percent in April-June 2016, while it

was 3.3 percent in April-June 2015. During the same period, 28 percent of imported products were industrial supplies. Compared to the same period of the previous year, industrial supplies increased 15.6 percent and capital goods increased by 12.2 percent, while food and beverages decreased by 12.7 percent, it added. — KUNA

Shock as Colombia peace deal rejected Continued from Page 1

YOKOHAMA: Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi answers a phone call following news that he won this yearís Nobel Prize in medicine at his office in the Tokyo Institute of Technology campus in Yokohama yesterday. —AP in the field, with speculation pointing to researchers who added new elements to the periodic table, such as nihonium or moscovium.

On Friday, all eyes will turn to Oslo where perhaps the most prestigious of the awards, the peace prize, will be announced.

The Norwegian jury has sifted through an avalanche of nominations this year - a record 376, almost a hundred more than the previous record from 2014. Among those often cited as likely winners are the architects of two historic accords: The recent peace deal in Colombia between the government and the leftist FARC rebels; and the Iranian nuclear deal. But in a shock upset, Colombians on Sunday voted against the peace deal by a razor-thin majority in a referendum. The economics prize will be announced on Oct 10, and the literature prize wraps things up on Oct 13. — AFP

“I have come to tell the president that I am offering to stand down as head of the delegation, because I will not be an obstacle to what comes next.”

That could pave the way for new negotiations, with a government team including hardliners from the party of Santos’s top political rival, former president Alvaro Uribe, who led the “No” campaign. Timochenko indicated the rebels were open to new talks, saying the referendum result left them “much more committed” to peace. “There are various ways to read (the result) and we must analyze them to see what needs to be fixed,” he said in a radio interview from Havana.

Opinion polls had showed the “Yes” camp well ahead, and negotiators had said there was no Plan B in the event of a “No” vote. Santos admitted defeat, but pledged not to give up. “I will continue to seek peace to the last day of my term,” he said late Sunday. Santos had been tipped as a top contender for this year’s Nobel peace prize, along with rebel leader Londono. But that prospect is all but dead after the referendum defeat, experts said. “The Colombian peace treaty or anybody associated with it simply is not a candidate for the Nobel peace prize this year,” said Kristian

Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo’s Peace Research Institute (PRIO).

The deal has now “lost legitimacy”, said Maria Luisa Puig, a Latin America analyst at the Eurasia Group consultancy. “The deal... is dead and cannot be implemented,” she said in a note. “While the parties may seek to renegotiate a deal, the process would be complex, time consuming, and probably outlive the current administration.”

Commentators compared the result to that of June’s surprise “Brexit” vote for Britain to leave the European Union. Forecasts apparently miscalculated Colombians’ desire to punish the FARC. Deal opponents resented concessions that included soft sentences with no jail time for rebels who confessed to their crimes. The accord called for the 5,765 FARC rebels to disarm and become a political party, with seats in Colombia’s Congress. The FARC launched its guerrilla war in 1964, after the army crushed a peasant uprising.

Over the years, the conflict drew in several leftist rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.

Authorities estimate it has left 45,000 missing and nearly seven million uprooted. The two sides have declared a ceasefire, and the FARC indicated their commitment to upholding it. — AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Issues

Insured crabs, tea help China farmers avoid weather loss

By Coco Liu

M

a Rongda, a tea grower for nearly 30 years, knows how badly his business can be affected by extreme weather. But when heavy snow and cold hit his tea garden earlier this year, Ma was not as worried as he used to be. “I bought insurance for my tea plantations,” he explained. For an annual premium of some 7,000 yuan ($1,050), the 46-year-old received compensation of more than 220,000 yuan ($32,950) - enough to cover all of his production costs last year.

This is the second year that Ma and his fellow farmers in eastern China’s Anji County have had access to insurance.

Before that, no policies were available for Chinese tea growers looking to secure their crops. As erratic weather has become the new norm in China, insurance policies against losses from extreme weather have emerged in a wide range of agricultural businesses, from beekeeping to cattle ranching to seaweed farming. Many are proving hugely popular, thanks in part to cut-rate prices made possible by government subsidies.

Chinese officials say the number of buyers of agriculture-related insurance has more than tripled in the country between 2007 and 2015, while the area of farmland covered by insurance has quintupled. The fast expansion of insurance is just one thing China is doing to reduce what it sees as a growing risks related to extreme weather and other climate change impacts. The country now requires infrastructure construction companies to take climate change impacts into consideration when planning new projects.

It has also developed early warning systems for extreme weather events and taken up popular communications tools - such as Weibo, China’s version of Twitter - to send out typhoon alerts. Disaster statistics show why. Over the last 20 years, one out of two people affected by weatherrelated disasters has been Chinese, according to the United Nations. Chinese government statistics show that floods, droughts, typhoons and other natural disasters have caused annual economic losses of 200 billion yuan ($30 billion) a year, on average, since the 1990s. Chinese farmers, whose harvests rely on good weather, have been among those hit the hardest.

‘Really Strange’ Weather Ma, the tea grower in Anji County, for instance, had already lost last year’s harvest to extreme cold when freezing temperatures hit his plantations again this year, withering the tea leaves. “The weather is now getting really strange,” Ma said in a telephone interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “We used to experience extreme cold weather once every three years. But in 2016 alone, we suffered from (both) heavy snows and cold waves. It was a double whammy.”

The insurance he now buys - introduced last year - gives farmers an automatic payout for losses, without a visit from an insurance claims adjuster, when the recorded temperature drops to minus 0.5 degrees Celsius during the harvesting season. With Chinese policymakers promoting marketoriented solutions to help cope with climate change, 65 percent of the insurance premium is being covered by government subsidies, making the new service appealing to cost-conscious farmers.

Concerns over extreme weather drove Ma to buy insurance for all his tea land as soon as the service became available in 2015 - and he has encouraged many others to do the same, he said. According to the Anji White Tea Association, the scale of insured tea plantations increased from 600 hectares in 2015 to nearly 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres) this year. PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd, which designed the insurance for tea growers, has rolled out 39 insurance products aimed at helping Chinese farmers handle an increase in climate shocks. Other insurance firms also have come up innovative policies, both in design and the way they are sold. Shanghai-based Anxin Agricultural Insurance Co Ltd., for one, recently teamed up with Taobao, a popular Chinese e-commerce site, to sell insurance against crop failures caused by strong winds. Farmers can buy the insurance online and claim it based on meteorological data, which enables the company to serve farmers whose villages do not have any insurance agents.

Insured Crabs There are also growing efforts to create insurance services for climate-related damages that are hard to measure.

Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai, is a major production hub for Chinese mitten crabs, a burrowing crab that is named for its furry claws and that is an autumn delicacy in eastern China.

But since heat waves have begun happening more frequently in Suzhou, farmers have complained that their mitten crabs - and their wallets - have reduced in size. —Reuters

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Evangelicals: True test of faith in Trump

By Michael Mathes

“B

oy did I do well with evangelicals, right?” A boastful Donald Trump basked in the adulation of Christian conservatives at a rally this week in Council Bluffs, Iowa as he recalled their surprisingly strong support in the hard-fought Republican presidential primaries. He will need them again come Nov 8. Evangelicals form a powerful voting bloc that the billionaire Republican must win by significant margins in key swing states if he is to defeat Hillary Clinton at the ballot box.

Polls show many religious conservatives now favor Trump, even after many backed Ben Carson or Ted Cruz, candidates with stronger faith pedigrees, in the primary battle. But in a series of interviews, several evangelical voters and leaders told AFP they hold deep reservations about the real estate tycoon and his combative rhetoric, personal character and morality.

Trump, who is Presbyterian, is twice divorced, a casino magnate who made millions on a gambling empire. He has called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, and stands accused of demeaning women and cheating employees - hardly the qualities of humility and virtue sought by faithbased voters. “It’s a quandary for evangelicals, there’s no question about it,” acknowledged Mike Hamlet, who has been a pastor at First Baptist North Spartanburg, in the southern state of South Carolina for 32 years.

In Trump they see a deeply flawed man, but one who nonetheless hews more closely to their Biblical values, in particular protecting the unborn, than does Democrat Clinton. Churchgoers on a recent Sunday in Spartanburg, a white evangelical stronghold, hesitated when asked about Trump, but said ultimately they would support him. “I don’t think that my standard candidate is on the ballot, but I’m going to vote to the right,” said Pam Dean, 59, who works with special needs children. “Jesus sat on the right hand of God, we threw the nets on the right. I’m going to vote to the right.”

‘Unhinged’ Versus ‘Unethical’ There are about 62 million born-again or evangelical Christian Americans, according to Pew Research Center. A large majority of white evangelicals support Trump, but many say they will cast their vote against Clinton rather than as a full-throated Trump endorsement. “I think that is as much because of Hillary Clinton’s opposition to

Biblical values,” Pastor Hamlet said. “We’re not going to have any candidates that are more pro-abortion than she is.”

Clinton, 68, is a Methodist, and has cited the teachings of Jesus while campaigning.

But Dean simply does not trust her. “She is for abortion,” the worshipper said. “I have not seen her Christian walk.” Evangelicals also largely align with the Republican Party on most issues, including national security, immigration, taxes and size of government.

But there is little unbridled enthusiasm for him among evangelicals, and the Trump camp is worried that like in 2012, many may choose to stay home on Election Day. “I don’t know what I’m going to be doing as an evangelical voting in November,” said Levi Fox, 25, a student at Christian conservative Bob Jones University (BJU) in nearby Greenville.

“A lot of my peers don’t want to vote” because they see Clinton and Trump as “the difference between an unhinged candidate and an unethical one,” Fox said. In 1999 Trump said he was pro-choice. Today he claims he is pro-life, but the way he trumpets his faith sometimes raises eyebrows.

In July, he appeared to mock holy communion, saying that “when I drink my little wine... and have my little cracker, I guess that’s a form of asking for forgiveness.”

‘Shame On Us’ Evangelical par ticipation may not decide the outcome in conser vative South Carolina, which has not voted Democratic since 1976. But in neighboring North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and critical battleground Ohio, evangelicals could prove Trump’s savior, or his undoing. “I think the jury is still out for some people, but personally when I look at the alternative, he is the only choice for me,” said Alexia Newman, director of the pro-life Carolina Pregnancy Center. “If we go the other way and support Mrs. Clinton... we know that it is going to be abortion on demand, we know it’s going to be marriage between anybody.”

Trump routinely appeals to evangelicals. But he has also reprimanded them for staying home in 2012 and contributing to Mitt Romney’s defeat to Barack Obama. Evangelicals in July were rallying behind Trump more than they supported Romney four years ago, according to Pew. Still, “I don’t think he has anything locked up,” 76-year-old Walter Lapp of Boiling Springs, near Spartanburg, said of Trump.

If evangelicals fail to come out in 2016,

Why divided Colombia said ‘No’ to peace deal

By Jordi Miro and Rodrigo Almonacid

C

olombians say they are sick of their country’s 52-year civil war. So why did a thin majority of voters reject their biggest chance yet for peace? Forecasts ahead of Sunday’s surprise referendum result misjudged how divided Colombians are over how to settle the conflict with the FARC rebels. “I voted ‘Yes’ to peace by voting ‘No’ to the accord,” said Carlos Gonzalez, a 19-yearold student. Here are four things Colombians said ‘No’ to.

No to ‘Impunity’ Colombian authorities estimate the conflict has left 260,000 people dead, 45,000 missing and nearly seven million displaced. The accord offered an amnesty for some FARC members, though not for the worst crimes such as massacres, torture and rape. It offered reduced sentences for some FARC members who confess their crimes. The FARC apologized to its victims, some of whom met with its members for emotional reconciliations. But for Monica Gonzalez, 36, the accord was too soft on the FARC, which killed her grandmother in 2011. “I agree with second chances, but not with impunity,” she said as she celebrated the result in northern Bogota on Sunday night.

No to ‘Communism’ The FARC formed in 1964 to fight for control of land and a communist system of government, after state forces crushed a rural uprising. The peace accord, negotiated in Cuba, aimed to convert the FARC into a civil political group, with temporary seats in Congress.

That was too much for many “shame on us,” he said. “ We have a responsibility, not just a right, to be able to vote according to how God leads us.”

BJU histor y professor Carl Abrams acknowledged he might be breaking with the evangelical trend. “At the moment I would not vote for him, because he does not pass that most

Colombians, who reject the FARC on ideological as well as moral grounds.

The leader of the ‘No’ camp, former president Alvaro Uribe, said the accord would drive the country towards “CastroChavism” - a reference to leftist leaders in Cuba and Venezuela. “Democracy has been saved” by Sunday’s result, said Jesus Vivas, a 58-year-old pensioner, celebrating on Sunday. “The future of my family and my children has been saved.

We have said ‘No’ to communism.”

No to Santos Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos acted triumphantly when he signed the peace accord with the FARC on Sept 26. But his approval rating has dipped nearly as low as 20 percent this year. Opponents said they were in favor of peace but voiced distaste at the president and his determination to be the one to end the war. “The drive for reconciliation continues, but according to the principles of a healthy society,” said Maria Fernanda Cabal, an outspoken congresswoman. “Not giving the country away to bandits and the vanity of Santos.”

No to Voting?

Turnout in Sunday ’s vote was extremely low at 37 percent. Authorities earlier said heavy rain caused some disruption to voting as Hurricane Matthew passed over the Caribbean. “We do not k now what will happen now,” said Jorge Cifuentes, 55, one of the Yes supporters who had gathered to celebrate in Bogota on Sunday night but ended up cast into gloom. “But it is clear that the conditions granted to the FARC had a big effect, and the low turnout too.” —AFP important test of love your neighbor as yourself,” he said, referring to Trump’s staunch anti-immigrant position. The pregnancy center ’s Newman said she believes Trump has “evolved” toward Christian positions on abortion and marriage. “I’m going to trust that he’s had an epiphany,” she said. —AFP

Indo-Pak families fear border shutdown

By Bhuvan Bagga

M

ohammad Iftakar waits with sweets and gifts at the Wagah border crossing, a lifeline for families violently separated during the founding of India and Pakistan, fearful of dangerous new divisions as hostilities flare once again.

Like many other Indians, he has extended family on both sides of the frontier and travels regularly between the nations that were divided after independence from Britain in 1947.

He worries authorities might close the main border crossing at Wagah in India’s northern Punjab state, leaving families like his in limbo, after New Delhi said it had conducted military strikes inside Pakistan. “ There are some agencies and jihadi groups in Pakistan that don’t want peace, but all of the other people are like us,” said Iftakar, who was travelling with his wife and two sons and carrying bags loaded with sweets and gifts. “They (Pakistanis) love us and they too want close relations between

our two countries,” he said, before clearing customs and making the short walk to the border crossing.

The wealthy farming state of Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan at partition, becoming the epicenter of the violence in which at least a million people were killed as Hindus fleeing the newly formed Pakistan clashed with Muslims moving the opposite way. Iftakar, whose wife Aarafa is from Pakistan, nervously remembers when India shut the border in 2001 after Pakistani militants staged a deadly attack on the parliament building in New Delhi.

The Wagah crossing itself is famous for its colourful “flag lowering” ceremony, that draws huge cheering crowds on both sides of the border post each sunset to see the display of military preening and pageantry.

The ceremony was briefly closed to the public on the Indian side after the strikes in disputed Kashmir to the north of Punjab, which have led to a spike in tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

‘We are the Same’ India says it has no desire for a further escalation in the situation, but has nevertheless ordered thousands of villagers to move away from the border in Punjab. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence seven decades ago. Last week ’s strikes followed a deadly assault on one of India’s a r my b a s e s i n K a s h m i r t h a t D e l h i blamed on Pak istan-based militants.

Islamabad has dismissed India’s claim to have conducted surgical strikes across the border as an “illusion”, insisting any such incursions would be impossible.

At t h e c u s to m s h a l l, n o t f a r f ro m India’s Sikh holy city of Amritsar and a short distance from Pakistan’s Lahore, Ghulam Ali said he feared the regional tensions would further delay a reunion with his wife. “Our families have lived in the same region for generations,” the 40year-old Muslim told AFP. Since marrying his Pakistani wife two years ago, he h a s b e e n t r y i n g w i t h o u t s u cce s s to

secure a visa for her to live with him in India’s Rajasthan.

Instead, Ali, who works as a milk supplier, makes frequent visits across the border to see his wife and son. “What some in Pakistan are doing is wrong of course,” he said. “But I hope that the governments, particularly our government, ensures that people like us, who have families across the border, don’t have problems travelling and meeting each other. We are the same people.”

The road leading to Wagah is normally choked with auto rickshaws and taxis.

B u t i t h a s b e e n l a rg e l y d e s e r te d i n recent days, with many tea stalls and other ro a d s i d e e a te r i e s shut.

Mohammad Shahid, whose mother and sister were heading to a relative’s wedding in Lahore, said he too hoped for a quick thawing of hostilities. “I hope the governments sit and talk with each other,” he said. “ We haven’t experienced such tension between the countries in a while.” —AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

S P ORTS CAF presidency to be limited to 12 years

Ivan Rakitic adds to Croatia injury woes

JOHANNESBURG: Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidents will be limited to three four-year terms with effect from the 2017 elections, the organisation confirmed yesterday.

There has been no limit previously with incumbent Issa Hayatou leading the African body since 1988. The 70-year-old Cameroonian has not indicated whether he will stand for reelection, but would be expected to retain his position should he do so. In charge for 28 years, Hayatou is the longest serving CAF boss. Deceased Ethiopian Yidnekatchew Tessema was president for 16 years from 1972. CAF spokesman Junior Binyam told AFP the change, announced during an extraordinary general assembly in Cairo, brought the African organisation in line with world governing body FIFA. The three-term ceiling will also apply to CAF executive committee members.

Assembly delegates voted 32-16 against a Djibouti motion that CAF presidency candidates should not be restricted to executive committee members. CAF second vice-president Almamy Kabele Camara of Guinea and executive committee member Kwesi Nyantakyi of Ghana were voted on to the FIFA Council (formerly executive committee). —AFP

ZAGREB: Ivan Rakitic has joined Luka Modric and Dejan Lovren on the sidelines and the three injured stalwarts will miss Croatia’s World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Finland, coach Ante Cacic said yesterday. The 28-year-old playmaker pulled out with an Achilles tendon strain while Modric has been ruled out for a month after undergoing knee surgery last week. “Modric, Rakitic and Lovren are all out of the upcoming qualifiers but I have a pretty clear idea who will replace them in the starting line-up,” Cacic told a news conference.

“The Achilles tendon strain forced Rakitic to miss Barcelona’s 43 defeat at Celta Vigo on Sunday while Lovren has a groin injury, but neither of them require surgery.” The Croatians, held to a 1-1 home draw by Turkey in their opening Group I match, are away to Kosovo on Thursday and visit the Finns on Sunday. Cacic acknowledged that only two wins would do despite Croatia’s woes, compounded by several regular starters being down the pecking order at their clubs. “Some things are out of my hands but there will be no excuse if we don’t win both games because we are a better-ranked team than both Kosovo and Finland,” said the 63-year-old coach. —Reuters

injured Dhawan to miss India’s third Test KOLKATA: Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out yesterday of the third and final Test against New Zealand with a broken thumb after the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series in Kolkata. The 30-year-old left-handed opener suffered a nasty hit on his left thumb off a Trent Boult bouncer during India’s second innings on Sunday. Dhawan scored 17 after being trapped lbw off Boult and did not take the field during New Zealand’s run chase at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. “Shikhar has suffered a very minor fracture on his hand (thumb). He has been under observation and advised a 15-day rest. So he is ruled out of the third match,” the Indian team’s management announced.

“The selectors have been informed about Dhawan’s injury and they will name a replacement very soon.”

Dhawan has scored 1,464 runs from 23 Tests at an average of 38.52. India’s emphatic 178-run win against New Zealand helped the hosts reclaim their top spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.

The two teams will now head to Indore for the final Test starting October 8. — AFP

No one’s taking partner Thomas Pieters away from me: McIlroy CHASKA: Europe lost their six-year grip on the Ryder Cup at the weekend but in Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters they found a dynamic partnership that could prove inspirational in Paris in 2018 and beyond. McIlroy, described by captain Darren Clarke as his on-course team leader, and Belgian Pieters won all three matches they played together and the Nor thern Irishman is unwilling to change his new companion when they get to France. “I’ve got a partner beside me for the next 20 years, I’m not letting anyone else have him,” the world number three told reporters as he put his arm around the Ryder Cup debutant following the 17-11 defeat by the United States on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Pieters, who triumphed 3 and 2 in his last-day singles against JB Holmes and lost in the company of Englishman Lee Westwood in Friday ’s opening foursomes, was Europe’s leading scorer with four points from five matches. That set a record for a European rookie, surpassing the three and a half points claimed by Englishman Paul Way in 1983 and by Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Scot Paul Lawrie in 1999.

“There are plenty of positives to take

into Paris in two years’ time,” said McIlroy who lost a titanic battle with US talisman Patrick Reed in the singles as the Americans ended a run of three straight defeats in the biennial team event.

“Some of the new blood we have, they have gotten over their first Ryder Cup and now they know what it’s about and they know what they are going to expect next time,” the 27-year-old added. “We have...a group that have gotten much closer over the past seven days, a group that you could possibly all see again in two years’ time,” said McIlroy.

“It is disappointing to lose. I wish we could have that feeling we had at Gleneagles two years ago but it will make it that much better when we have that feeling again in Paris.” Clarke will not be captain when the competition is played at Le Golf National in 2018 but he is hopeful there will be some French representation.

“Whoever makes that team, it will be very strong again for the European Tour,” Clarke said. “As Rory rightly says, it could be exactly the same guys lining up again but if there is a French national, that would be wonderful as well.” — Reuters

CHASKA: United States captain Davis Love III is surrounded by his players as they pose for a picture during the closing ceremony of the Ryder Cup golf tournament Sunday, at Hazeltine NationalGolf Club in Chaska, Minn. — AP

USA rips Europe 17-11 to end Ryder Cup drought

CHASKA: Rory McIlroy of Europe reacts on the eighth green during singles matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.— AFP

CHASKA: Shaking off three consecutive defeats, the United States recaptured the Ryder Cup on Sunday, ripping Europe 17-11 for their most decisive triumph since 1981 in the biennial team golf showdown.

Cup newcomer Ryan Moore, selected with a captain’s pick only a week earlier, won the last three holes to defeat England’s Lee Westwood 1-up and secure the trophy by giving the Americans an unbeatable edge in a tensionpacked test at Hazeltine.

“To score the clinching point in the Ryder Cup is just incredible,” Moore said. “I can’t digest what just happened. I was trying my hardest not to let my team down.”

Moore was 2-down before an eagle at 16, birdie at 17 and conceded par at 18, admitting, “I just wanted to hit a couple of good shots coming in.” Earlier singles triumphs by Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Brandt Snedeker and rookie Brooks Koepka plus a vital half point from Phil Mickelson had put the US team on the brink.

“We’ve got a memory and life experience that we will cherish forever,” said Mickelson, who made 10 birdies in halving with Spain’s Sergio Garcia. US captain Davis Love, the 2012 captain whose team suffered its greatest collapse in Ryder Cup history to fall, and the task force that spent two years revamping the US Cup program saw their effort rewarded.

“I’m just proud of these guys,” Love said.

“They had pressure on them for the last two years. I’m proud of ever y one of them.

Unbelievable golf.”

‘WE DID IT FOR OUR CAPTAIN’ The “Miracle at Medinah” was still on the minds of many as the US began putting the painful loss deeper into the past.

“We did this for our captain. He had a tough go four years ago,” said US star Jordan Spieth.

The Americans had dropped six of the past seven and eight of the past 10 in the rivalry.

“We’ve been criticized for eight or 10 years for not coming together,” Love said. “I’m so proud of them. We were kicked around for so long. You realize you have to do something.” But they were already talking about defending the trophy in France in 2018. “Hopefully there’s a change in the Ryder Cup,” Spieth said. “We’re looking forward to going to Paris and trying to win one over there.”

Europe captain Darren Clarke, whose players led early in eight of the 12 concluding singles matches, called the loss “incredibly disappointing.” “They put up a massive fight. Some of the shotmaking was out of this world. The Americans putted that little bit better and that made the difference.” Love’s captain’s picks went 7-6 while Clarke’s went 5-7, Belgian Thomas Pieters a record 4-1 but Westwood and Martin Kaymer each 0-3 until Kaymer’s singles win after the Cup was lost Six Europe rookies were 7-9 overall while two US newcomers went 5-2.

Spectators were so insulting to European players the first two days at Hazeltine that the PGA of America issued a statement Sunday reminding of ejections for obscene remarks.

“It’s a big Ryder Cup family,” Reed said. “We

want everyone to play well. We want to beat each other at our best.”

REED, RORY HAVE SOME FUN The US team led 9 1/2 - 6 1/2 entering the singles matches and Reed edged Rory McIlroy 1-up in the opener.

All square at the eighth hole, McIlroy sank a 50-foot birdie putt, cupped his hand to his ear hollering “I can’t hear you.” Reed answered with a 25-foot birdie to halve the hole, wagged a finger at McIlroy and they shared fist bumps, laughs and pats on the back. “To play as well as we did, it was fun to be a part of,” Reed said. Reed took his first lead with a 10-foot par putt at the 12th and went 2-up with his first birdie in eight holes at the par-5 16th. Reed chipped across the par-3 17th green and lost the hole with a bogey, but sank a five-foot birdie putt on 18 to win.

British Open champion Henrik Stenson downed Spieth 3 and 2. Stenson won on 16 when Spieth stepped in a water hazard and his ball moved, prompting him to surrender the hole and the match.

Pieters beat J.B. Holmes 3 and 2, becoming the first Europe rookie to take four points and the first rookie to play five matches since American Larr y Nelson was 5-0 in 1979. “I thought I did pretty well,” Pieters said.

Fowler birdied to win the 16th and parred the last two holes for a 1-up win over Olympic champion Justin Rose of England and Mickelson made 10 birdies in nudging the Americans closer by halving with Sergio Garcia. — AFP

Tiger Woods would welcome chance as Ryder Cup captain CHASKA: Tiger Woods, the 14-time major winner sidelined 14 months by a back injury, said Sunday he would enjoy guiding a future US Ryder Cup team after a triumphant assistant turn. Woods played his supporting role behind US captain Davis Love as the Americans downed Europe 1711 at Hazeltine, a journey that began with his role on a task force after a 2014 loss in the biennial team golf showdown. “Yeah, I would love to do it,” Woods said. “I would be honored to do it in the future, if asked. But from the player standpoint of it, I like playing.” Woods, who plans to make his competitive comeback in two weeks at the 2016-17 US PGA Tour season opener in Napa, California, had back surgery a year ago and missed the entire just-concluded season recovering. His delay to make certain he is fully ready was a nod to past seasons where he returned too soon only to aggravate old injuries or incur new ones. But it also gave him time to be a key part of Love’s staff and strategy developers along with fellow assistants Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Tom Lehman.

“I can’t thank Tiger and Jim and Steve and Tom enough. They made a lot of crucial decisions, gave me a lot of great support,” Love said. “It’s truly a big team, but it was a team effort.”

Woods has played on seven Ryder Cup teams, going 13-17 with three halved. He boasts a 4-1 with two halved singles record but has struggled in pairs, although with tighter bonds built this week, he might be in a better position were he to make the US team for France in 2018. “I love these guys.

I love being out there in the fight with these guys,” Woods said. “I was just in the fight a different way and had to do my role and had to my job in a different way, and it was pretty cool.” His colleagues included seventh-ranked Bubba Watson, rejected for a player spot but a last-minute pick as assistant captain.

“I have Tiger’s cell phone number now,” two-time Masters champion Watson bragged. “I’m going to text you all the time.”

LIFETIME BONDS Being an assistant captain might even

help Woods should he make his way back as a player. “As a player that’s been on these teams, to be on a different side of it, to be on the vice captaincy side of it has meant so much,” Woods said. “What the vice captains and the captain ultimately have to decide, it’s tough. “As a player, all you have to do is get ready for the golf course. Just go out there and try and have your game and be ready when called upon. As a non-player, it’s very complicated. There’s a lot of things that I didn’t realize that went on. Very eye-opening. It was a great experience. I learned a lot.

“I became really close to a lot of these guys. These are bonds that will last a lifetime. Didn’t actually hit a golf shot, but we are truly a team. We accomplished it and we won it together.”

But some bonds might be too close.

When the team was asked about the best off-course memory of the week, US Open winner Dustin Johnson smiled and said, “You sure that’s not for Tiger?”

That brought knowing smiles all around and had Woods burying his head in his hands without elaborating. —AFP

CHASKA: United States vice-captain Tiger Woods talks to United States vice-captain Bubba Watson after the USA team won the Ryder Cup golf tournament Sunday. — AP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

S P ORTS

Venus Williams crashes out of China Open BEIJING: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams crashed out of the first round of the China Open to Chinese wildcard Peng Shuai yesterday.

World number one Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, continued her stellar season beating qualifier Katerina Siniakova in two sets in her opening match in Beijing.

After a close first set, the former US Open semi-finalist Peng allowed the American veteran player just one game point in the second to win 7-5, 6-1. “In the first set I was really trying to fight because I think she got three set points,” said Peng after the match.

“I think in the second set it’s really

important when I got the first three points. It gave me more motivation.”

Peng, 30, came of age at the same time as China’s first-and only-Grand Slam singles champion Li Na. She reached a career high of 17 in 2011, the same year Li won her first Slam at Roland Garros and rose to world number five, taking with her the popularity of tennis in China.

But Peng’s career has since been blighted by injury, which forced her to miss much of 2015 and pushed her to the brink of retirement.

“After the surgery, no one could guarantee I could come back to the court,”

Peng said. “I’d like to take time to see if I can go further (in tennis).”

‘POSITIVE ON COURT’ Czech Siniakova, 20, played an impressive net game against top seed Kerber but was unable to take control of the match, handing the German a 6-4, 64 win. “She played really well, especially in the first set. I was trying to be patient and waiting for my shots and for my chances,” said Kerber after the match.

The German won her second Grand Slam title of the year-and her career-at the US Open last month in the same week that also saw her rise to number

one, dethroning long-reigning Serena Williams. Kerber, 28, started the year ranked 10th but reached her first ever Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January-and scooped the crown.

Her strong run continued as she reached the final of Wimbledon and bagged an Olympic silver medal in Rio. Kerber credits changing her on-court demeanour-which once earned her the nickname “Dun Curr-ber” based on the internet meme for “don’t care”-for her late career renaissance. “I think it came from a lot of experience... really focusing and trying to (be) more positive on court than negative,” Kerber told reporters in Beijing.

“I think this is also one of the keys why I’m playing so good and so consistent, because it’s really important to have your mind on the court.” Meanwhile, defending champion Garbine Muguruza booked her spot in the final 16, downing 21-yearold Yulia Putintseva in her second-round match. The Spaniard has her eyes on making her second consecutive WTA Final-the elite eight-player season finaleand needs to reach the final in Beijing to guarantee her qualification.

On the men’s side, David Ferrer and fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut both prevailed in their tougher-thanexpected first-round matches. — AFP

Azhar sees positive Pakistan progress SHARJAH: Skipper Azhar Ali yesterday said his team was heading in the right direction after a one-day series win over the West Indies which will lift their rankings and chances for a direct entry in the World Cup 2019.

Pakistan took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three -match series with another thumping 59-run win in Sharjah on Sunday.

They won the first game by 111 runs at the same venue on Friday. Pakistan, who play the last match in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, need to beat the West Indies 30 to rise one place to eighth, displacing their opponents (currently eighth) to ninth.

Hosts England and the top seven teams in one-day rankings on the cut off date of September 30 next year will automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup. The two remaining teams will join eight Associates to feature in the qualifying round in 2018.

Ali said the series win put Pakistan in the right direction of rebuilding. “It takes time to improve things. You need patience to lift a team. We started the rebuilding process after the 2015 World Cup and it takes oneand-a-half to two years so we are going towards that,” said Ali. Ali replaced Misbahul-Haq who along with allrounder Shahid Afridi retired after the World Cup last year.

But Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 in

Bangladesh last year in Ali’s first series as captain and lost 4-1 to England earlier this month. That raised calls for his sacking but Ali felt changes halted the team’s progress.

“No matter how many captains you change if you want to rebuild the team it takes one-and-a-half to two years.

“Our nation doesn’t have the patience, they want to win instantly. If you don’t win they get frustrated and want change. As a nation we have to take responsibility. It’s easy to look at things in hindsight and call for changes,” said Ali. Ali said his team was getting right combinations. “We are getting allrounders who have brought depth in batting and we are scoring 300 plus,” said Ali whose team posted a big 337-5 in 50 overs on Sunday.

“We are executing plans in bowling which is good, energy levels are high and with wins you lift your confidence. We have played well in the last five to seven matches,” said Ali of Pakistan’s three one-day and four Twenty20 wins this month.

Dismissed for a first-ball duck and nine in the two matches against West Indies, Ali hopes he strikes form sooner than later. “My series against England was better and I scored runs there. I am playing well in the nets so it will take one innings to come in form because my confidence level is high.” —AFP

Durham relegated over financial woes LONDON: Durham have been relegated from the County Championship First Division due to financial problems and Hampshire have been allowed to reclaim their top-flight place.

Durham’s sanction was agreed with the England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday as a condition of £3.8 million ($4.8 million, 4.3 million euros) financial support from the governing body.

The north-east based county will begin next season in the Second Division with an additional 48-point penalty.

Hampshire had been relegated from the First Division after a dismal season, but they can now look forward to another top-flight campaign.

Durham have also lost the right to be able to apply to host Test matches at the Emirates Riverside.

Limited- overs internationals, including a Twenty20 next year, can still take place in Durham.

It was first revealed last week that Durham may face relegation as they and the ECB seek a solution to the club’s financial difficulties. An ECB statement on Monday confirmed relegation and a series of further measures.

They include the return of all prize money, the imposition of a revised salary cap up to April 2020 - reviewed

annually by the governing body - and respective four and two-point penalties in next year’s Twenty20 Blast and One-Day Cup. “The England and Wales Cricket Board today announced that Durham has accepted an offer of significant additional financial support from ECB in order to manage current and historic debt and revenue issues,” the statement read. “ECB has been working with the Board and Chief Executive of the County and its stakeholders throughout 2016 in order to ensure that Durham could address their financial issues. “ This suppor t has included advancing an annual fee payment of £1.294 million. There has been no direct investment to date. “The £3.8 million financial aid package - which has been approved by the ECB Board and accepted by the Board of Durham CCC - will allow the club to meet on-going salar y, HMRC and operating costs, settle a substantial debt to a secured creditor and focus on the restructuring and future sustainability of the County Cricket Club.”

A Durham County Cricket Club spokesperson added: “The Durham County Cricket Club Board welcomes the ECB’s long-term commitment to safeguarding First Class Cricket in the north-east.” —AFP

KOLKATA: India’s captain Virat Kohli (C) is watched by teammates Cheteshwar Pujara (L) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (2R) as he takes a catch to dismiss New Zealand’s Matt Henry (R) during play on the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between India and New Zealand at The Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. — AFP

India crush N Zealand to reclaim top ranking KOLKATA: India crushed New Zealand by 178 runs in the second test yesterday to clinch the three-match series and reclaim top spot in the world rankings from Pakistan.

Chasing 376 for victory, the touring side were bundled out for 197 in fading light on the fourth day at Eden Gardens to give India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

India will return to the top of the International Cricket Council test rankings irrespective of the result of the third and final test in Indore which starts on Saturday.

India’s ambition to regain the top ranking after handing over the honour to arch-rivals Pakistan recently following a washed-out test in the West Indies dove-tailed perfectly with the bumper test season at home.

“With the coming home season we have control of that situation (staying number one),” captain Virat Kohli said at the presentation, referring to the season ahead where India will also host tests against England, Australia and Bangladesh.

It was an all-round show from the Indian bowlers with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Mohammed Shami picking up three wickets each.

New Zealand opener Tom Latham waged a lone battle, top-scoring for his side with a dogged 74. Latham and Martin Guptill (24) survived nervous moments before lunch to give New Zealand a solid start with a series-best opening stand of 55. Guptill, whose place in the side is under scrutiny after a string of poor scores, was on six when he was given not out following a confident appeal for lbw by Shami.

The right-hander was trapped leg before in the first over after lunch by off-spinner Ashwin, who also sent back stand-in skipper Ross Taylor

SCOREBOARD KOLKATA: Final scoreboard of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Kolkata yesterday: India 1st innings: 316 (Cheteshwar Pujara 87, Ajinkya Rahane 77; Matt Henry 3-46) New Zealand 1st innings: 204 (J. Patel 47, R. Taylor 36; B. Kumar 5-48, M. Shami 3-70) India 2nd innings: overnight 227/8 (W. Saha 39 not out, B. Kumar 8 not out) S. Dhawan lbw b Boult 17 M. Vijay c Guptill b Henry 7 C. Pujara lbw b Henry 4 V. Kohli lbw b Boult 45 A. Rahane c Boult b Henry 1 R. Sharma c Ronchi b Santner 82 R. Ashwin lbw b Santner 5 W. Saha not out 58 R. Jadeja c sub (Neesham) b Santner 6 B. Kumar c Nicholls b Wagner 23 M. Shami c Latham b Boult 1 Extras (b 10, lb 1, w 3) 14 Total (all out; 76.5 overs) 263 Fall of wicket: 1-12 (Vijay), 2-24 (Pujara), 3-34 (Dhawan), 4-43 (Rahane),

(four) in similar fashion.

Latham concentrated hard to bring up his second half-century of the series and added 49 for the second wicket with Henry Nicholls (24), who replaced regular captain Kane Williamson in the side. Nicholls edged Jadeja to slip before Shami picked up two quick wickets by getting the ball to reverse swing and New Zealand lost seven wickets in the final session.

Local boy Shami returned to take the final

5-91 (Kohli), 6-106 (Ashwin), 7-209 (Sharma), 8-215 (Jadeja), 9-251 (Kumar), 10-263 (Shami) Bowling: Boult 17.5-6-38-3, Henry 20-2-59-3, Wagner 15-3-45-1, Patel 8-0-50-0, Santner 16-2-60-3 New Zealand 2nd innings: T. Latham c Saha b Ashwin 74 M. Guptill lbw b Ashwin 24 H. Nicholls c Rahane b Jadeja 24 R. Taylor lbw b Ashwin 4 L. Ronchi b Jadeja 32 M. Santner lbw b Shami 9 BJ. Watling b Shami 1 M. Henry c Kohli b Jadeja 18 J. Patel b Kumar 2 N. Wagner not out 5 T. Boult c Vijay b Shami 4 Extras 0 Total (all out; 81.1 overs) 197 Bowling: Kumar 12-4-28-1, Shami 18.1-5-46-3, Ashwin 31-6-82-3, Jadeja 20-3-41-3.

Result: India won by 178 runs.

wicket of Trent Boult much to the delight of the crowd. Earlier, resuming on 227 for eight, India were all out for 263 in their second innings, setting New Zealand a difficult target on a wearing track. Wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha was not out on 58, his second unbeaten fifty of the game earning him the man of the match award. Boult, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner picked up three wickets each for the touring side. — Reuters

Bahrah Malabar Bulls lift Kuwait Kerala Premier trophy

DHAKA: England cricketer Ben Stokes takes part in a batting practice session at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. —AFP

KUWAIT: In a thrilling final held at the Doha Entertainment City cricket ground, Bahrah Trading Company Malabar Bulls cricket team lifted the Kuwait Kerala Premier League Division B Trophy defeating Royal Kings Trivandrum by 30 runs.

Bahrah Malabar Bulls won the toss and elected to bat first and made a mammoth total of 201 for the loss of 2 wickets on the back of an unbeaten match winning partnership of 150 runs between Shakeer Hussain and Jaison George. In reply Royal Kings were restricted to 171 runs on the back of some excellent bowling by led by Noushad NP who bowled an excellent spell of 4 overs taking 3 wickets for 19 runs.

In the league stages Bahrah Malabar Bulls had an unbeaten run winning all their 10 league matches and qualifying for the final directly.

Shakeer was declared Man of the match for his match winning unbeaten century and Noushad NP was declared Man of the Series and Bowler of the Series for his outstanding performance throughout the tournament.

Bahrah Trading Company Malabar Bulls is a team which represents players from Malabar region of north Kerala in the Kuwait Kerala Premier league organized by Kuwait Cricket.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

S P ORTS

Expert panel: Tokyo Olympics costs could top $30 billion TOKYO: The price tag of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could exceed 3 trillion yen ($30 billion) unless drastic cost-cutting measures are taken and several key venues are relocated, an expert panel warned Thursday in the latest blow to Japanese organizers.

“Naturally, anyone who hears these numbers is alarmed,” panel leader Shinichi Ueyama said.

The Olympic investigation team was launched by newly elected Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike after she raised concerns about growing cost estimates and the potential burden on the city and its taxpayers. The panel said the ballooning costs reflect an absence of leadership, as well as a lack of governance and awareness of cost control.

The report, submitted to Koike on Thursday, reviewed three out of seven permanent venues that Tokyo is planning to build, and proposed using existing locations rather than new facilities that could end up being white ele phants. It proposed moving rowing and canoeing more than 400 kilometers (250

miles) outside the city, as well as finding new sites for swimming and volleyball.

Koike said she plans to discuss possible options with International Olympic Committee officials who are expected to visit Japan in the coming weeks.

“We cannot impose the negative legacy onto the Tokyo residents,” Koike told reporters.

Preparations for Japan’s first Summer Olympics since Tokyo hosted the 1964 Games have been plagued by a series of scandals and problems, including the new national stadium’s high cost and design, and allegations of bribery in the bidding process.

Concerns over Tokyo’s budget come amid growing global scrutiny over the costs of hosting the Olympics. Many cities have been scared off by the record $51 billion in overall costs associated with the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

Rome’s bid for the 2024 Olympics was rejected last week by the new mayor, citing concerns over high costs.

The estimated 3 trillion yen cost of the Tokyo Games is more than a four-

fold increase from the initial estimate at the time of the city’s ‘s successful bid for the games in 2013.

Ueyama, a Keio University public policy professor, criticized Tokyo’s Olympic organizers as irresponsible, comparing them to “a company without a president and a chief financial officer.”

Tokyo organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori acknowledged in July 2015 that the total cost could exceed 2 trillion yen ($20 billion), doubling his unofficial estimate a year earlier. Mori has said the original figures were the result of sloppy calculations which he blamed on the Tokyo metropolitan government and Japanese Olympic Committee.

On Thursday, Mori criticized the panel’s proposals for venue moves, saying it would be difficult to change the existing plans approved by the IOC. “At this point, it would be extremely difficult to turn everything upside down from the Japanese side,” he said.

Tokyo has already implemented a series of venue changes which the IOC

has said will save around $1 billion. Any further changes would require the approval of the IOC and relevant international sports federations.

The panel’s report said venue costs had been driven up by overestimated stadium capacities, use of unnecessarily high-grade equipment and lack of a budget ceiling.

Plans for long-term use of big new permanent facilities are overly optimistic considering Japan’s declining population and aging society, Ueyama said.

To cut costs, the report proposed moving the rowing and canoeing venue away from Tokyo and renovating existing facilities for two other sports.

The latest cost estimate for the rowing and canoeing venue stands at 49 billion yen ($490 million), seven times higher than the initial forecast. The current plan hopes to turn the venue, a former site of a garbage plant, into a “mecca” for the sport and attract 40,000 visitors, but the panel said that is overly optimistic in a country with only several hundred athletes in rowing and canoe-

BOSTON: Toronto Blue Jays’ Devon Travis (29) celebrates his solo home run with Josh Donaldson during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Sunday. — AP

ing. The panel proposed moving rowing and canoeing to Tome City, about 440 kilometers (270 miles) - or a three-hour train ride - northeast of Tokyo in the prefecture of Miyagi.

The report said a planned swimming venue with a capacity of 20,000 is way above the 12,000-seat requirement, and proposed renovating an existing Olympic-class facility in Tokyo’s Tatsumi area. It urged seeking an existing venue for volleyball instead of building a new arena in Tokyo’s Ariake coastal area.

Tokyo won the right to host the games in 2013 by promising a compact bid with 28 of the 31 competition venues within an eight-kilometer (5-mile) radius of the Olympic Village. Originally, only shooting, modern pentathlon and one football venue were to be outside the eight-kilometer radius.

Already, venues for basketball, taekwondo and cycling have been moved outside of Tokyo to maximize existing facilities. Cycling was moved to Izu, some 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the capital. —AP

NEW YORK: New York Yankees’ Brian McCann follows through for a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday in New York. — AP

Blue Jays, Orioles grab playoff spots on final day BOSTON: Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Troy Tulowitzki singled to break an eighth-inning tie, helping the Toronto Blue Jays clinch the AL’s top wild-card berth Sunday with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in David Ortiz’s final regular season game. Toronto clinched a spot in the postseason when Detroit lost to Atlanta 1-0 earlier Sunday evening. With their win in Boston, the Blue Jays earned the right to host the Baltimore Orioles in a one-game playoff today. The Red Sox, who lost five of their last six games, will start their AL Division Series against the Indians on Thursday in Cleveland.

Sanchez (15-2) limited Boston to a run and two hits over seven innings. Roberto Osuna got three outs for his 36th save. Brad Ziegler (2-4) allowed Tulowitzki’s single.

Francisco finds its way into the playoffs San Francisco made it on the final day of the regular season, securing the second NL wild card with a win over Los Angeles to complete a three-game sweep of their rival. Denard Span hit a two-run triple among his three hits, and Buster Posey drove in three runs and had three hits. San Francisco, which won Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14, plays at the defending NL champion New York Mets on Wednesday night in the NL wild-card game, with the winner advancing to a Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. Madison Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, will face Noah Syndergaard.

Midseason acquisition Matt Moore (6-5) allowed one run and three hits in eight innings. Kenta Maeda (16-11) surrendered five runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.

ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 2 Matt Wieters homered from both sides of the plate and Kevin Gausman gave Baltimore a clutch pitching performance to snag a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.

Baltimore will play at AL East rival Toronto in the wild-card game tonight for a chance to face AL West champion Texas in a best-of-five Division Series. Zach Britton got five outs and finished perfect in 48 save chances this year. Wieters drove in four runs and Gausman (9-12) was charged with two runs in 7 1/3 innings as the Orioles reached the postseason for the third time in five years. Luis Cessa (4-4) got the loss.

CUBS 7, REDS 4 Matt Szczur doubled home two runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and Miguel Montero followed with a homer as Chicago finished one of its most successful seasons with a flourish. With victory No. 103 in the books, the Cubs headed back to Wrigley Field for their first playoff game on Friday against the winner of the NL wild-card game. The Cubs led the majors with their most victories since 1910. That’s no longer the reference point, however. The postseason focus is 1908, the last time they won a World Series. After Raisel Iglesias (3-2) retired the first two batters in the ninth, Chicago pulled ahead with a walk, a single and Szczur’s double. Justin Grimm (2-1) retired the one batter he faced for the win. Carl Edwards Jr. got his second save.

BRAVES 1, TIGERS 0 Detroit was eliminated from playoff contention when Julio Teheran matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning sacrifice fly that led Atlanta to victory in the last game at Turner Field. While the Braves focused on sending their home of 20 years out in style before moving to a new suburban stadium in 2017, the Tigers hoped to extend this season with a victory. They needed to win, hope that either Baltimore or Toronto lost, and then win a makeup game against Cleveland on Monday in order to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild card. Instead, Detroit lost its second straight against the last-place Braves. Teheran (7-10) lasted seven innings, giving up three hits and a walk. Jim Johnson, who agreed to a two-year contract before the game, worked the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. Justin Verlander (16-9) allowed six hits in seven innings, walked one intentionally and struck out eight.

GIANTS 7, DODGERS 1 If it is an even-numbered year, San

INDIANS 3, ROYALS 2 Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, Josh Tomlin dazzled in his final tuneup for the postseason and Cleveland beat Kansas City. Tomlin (13-9) dueled with Ian Kennedy (11-11) into the eighth before the new AL Central champs pulled ahead. Tomlin got the first batter in the eighth before Andrew Miller finished it up, and Cody Allen handled the ninth to earn his 32nd save and give the Indians (94-67) a nice boost heading into the playoffs.

NATIONALS 10, MARLINS 7 Max Scherzer earned his 20th victory and drove in a career-high four runs to help Washington beat Miami. Scherzer (20-7) allowed five runs in five innings while striking out seven. It was his second 20 win season, and he became the second pitcher to win 20 games for the Nationals since they moved to

Washington. Mark Melancon pitched the ninth to earn his 47th save in 51 chances. The NL East champion Nationals, who will face Los Angeles in the Division Series, finished the regular season 95-67, a 12-game improvement in manager Dusty Baker’s first season. Third baseman Martin Prado served as the Marlins’ manager, continuing a tradition actual manager Don Mattingly was a part of while working under Joe Torre in New York and Los Angeles and later when he managed the Dodgers.

Austin Brice (0-1) took the loss.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 3 Byron Buxton hit the game’s first pitch for an inside-the-park home run and Minnesota beat Chris Sale in manager Robin Ventura’s final game with Chicago. Ventura said after the game that leaving was “a personal decision.” He was in the last year of his contract. Miguel Sano added a three-run homer off Sale (17-10), who allowed five runs and six hits over five innings.

Jose Berrios (3-7) allowed one run and four hits in five innings. Brandon Kintzler got the final three outs for his 17th save in 20 tries.

RAYS 6, RANGERS 4, 10 INNINGS Alexei Ramirez had four hits, including a 10th-inning double before scoring, and Tampa Bay ended another losing season with a victory over AL West champion Texas. The Rangers tied it in the ninth against closer Alex Colome, but the Rays then opened the 10th with three consecutive hits off Tanner Scheppers (1-1).

Erasmo Ramirez, the seventh Rays pitcher and 14th in the game, worked the 10th for his second save. Colome (2-4) got the win. While the Rangers (95-67) fell one win shy of matching the franchise record for victories, they had already clinched home -field advantage through the postseason. They will open the playoffs at home Thursday against the AL wild card winner, either Toronto or Baltimore.

PHILLIES 5, METS 2 Ryan Howard’s farewell game with the Philadelphia Phillies ended with a win. Cesar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning, and Philadelphia beat playoffbound New York. Howard, the last player remaining from the 2008 World Series championship team, was honored in a pregame ceremony. The Phillies are planning to pay Howard a $10 million buyout instead of exercising a $23 million club option for 2017. Colton Murray (11) pitched one inning in relief of Jerad Eickhoff to earn his first career win despite allowing a run. Hector Neris finished for his second save.

Erik Goeddel (2-2) took the loss.

CARDINALS 10, PIRATES 4 A win on the final day of the season was not enough for the St. Louis Cardinals, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Matt Carpenter homered and Randal Grichuk keyed a six-run seventh-inning with a two-run double to lead the Cardinals. But the Cardinals (86-76) were eliminated while still on the field when San Francisco (87-75) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 and earned the second NL wild card. Jonathan Broxton (4-2) won despite allowing two runs in one inning of relief. Juan Nicasio (10-7) gave up three runs without recording an out in the seventh.

ATHLETICS 3, MARINERS 2 Stephen Vogt hit his 14th home run in the first inning on the only pitch that he saw on the final day of the season and Oakland held on to beat Seattle. Vogt drove the first pitch he got from Felix Hernandez just beyond the left-field wall to give the A’s an early lead.

Seattle appeared drained after seeing its postseason hopes dashed in Saturday’s extrainnings loss to the A’s. Hernandez (11-8) was lifted after the third inning and Guillermo Heredia’s two-run double in the fifth amounted to all of Seattle’s offense and the only real threat against Oakland starter Sean Manaea.

Manaea (7-9) threw six innings, allowing five hits and striking out five.

ANGELS 8, ASTROS 1 Mike Trout stole his 30th base and drove in his 100th run, and Los Angeles completed its

worst season of the 21st centur y. Trout wrapped up another MVP-caliber campaign stuck on 29 homers, but he got his milestone stolen base in the first inning and an RBI single in the sixth before leaving to a standing ovation. Houston’s Brady Rodgers (0-1) gave up five hits and four runs in his first big league start for his hometown team. Jhoulys Chacin (4-4) finished an inconsistent year with a dominant effort in his first victory since Aug. 21.

BREWERS 6, ROCKIES 4 Andrew Susac hit his first homer of the season, a two-run drive in the 10th inning that lifted Milwaukee over Colorado. After Orlando Arcia hustled for a two-out double, Susac followed with a liner to left off Chris Rusin (3-5).

Reliever Tyler Thornburg (8-5) won after blowing a lead for a second straight day. Corey Knebel pitched a perfect 10th for his second save. DJ LeMahieu sat out Sunday to protect his lead in the batting title race. It worked as LeMahieu edged Washington’s Daniel Murphy by percentage points - .3478 to .3465.

DIAMODNBACKS 3, PADRES 2 Pinch-hitter Phil Gosselin’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted Arizona over San Diego. Tuffy Gosewich doubled against the Padres’ Brad Hand (4-4) after two fly outs, then was replaced by pinch-runner Socrates Brito. Gosselin lined his winning hit up the middle to end the game. Daniel Hudson (3-2) earned the win. —AP

MLB results/standings La Angels 8, Houston 1; San Francisco 7, LA Dodgers 1; Washington 10, Miami 7; Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 2; Tampa Bay 6, Texas 4 (10 innings); Toronto 2, Boston 1; Baltimore 5, NY Yankees 2; Oakland 3, Seattle 2; Chicago Cubs 7, Cincinnati 4; Atlanta 1, Detroit 0; Milwaukee 6, Colorado 4 (10 innings); Minnesota 6, Chicago White Sox 3; Arizona 3, San Diego 2; Cleveland 3, Kansas City 2; St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 4.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Boston 93 69 .574 Baltimore 89 73 .549 Toronto 89 73 .549 NY Yankees 84 78 .519 Tampa Bay 68 94 .420 Central Division Cleveland 94 67 .584 Detroit 86 75 .534 Kansas City 81 81 .500 Chicago White Sox 78 84 .481 Minnesota 59 103 .364 Western Division Texas 95 67 .586 Seattle 86 76 .531 Houston 84 78 .519 LA Angels 74 88 .457 Oakland 69 93 .426

GB 4 4 9 25

Washington NY Mets Miami Philadelphia Atlanta

8 13.5 16.5 35.5

Chicago Cubs St. Louis Pittsburgh Milwaukee Cincinnati

9 11 21 26

LA Dodgers San Francisco Colorado Arizona San Diego

National League Eastern Division 95 67 .586 87 75 .537 79 82 .491 71 91 .438 68 93 .422 Central Division 103 58 .640 86 76 .531 78 83 .484 73 89 .451 68 94 .420 Western Division 91 71 .562 87 75 .537 75 87 .463 69 93 .426 68 94 .420

8 15.5 24 26.5 17.5 25 30.5 35.5 4 16 22 23

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

S P ORTS

Formula One: We’ll come back stronger in Japan, vows Mercedes boss SEPANG: Mercedes are “beating themselves up” about Lewis Hamilton’s dramatic Malaysian Grand Prix engine failure but have vowed to come back stronger in Japan this weekend.

Team principal Toto Wolff was almost lost for words after leader Hamilton’s engine exploded 15 laps from victory Sunday at the Sepang International Circuit. “It’s hard to know how to sum up a day like today,” Wolff said. “I just have no words for what happened to Lewis.

We feel his pain.”

Hamilton was close to tears after the dramatic retirement dealt a severe blow to his chances of winning a third drivers’

championship in a row, as his team-mate Nico Rosberg finished third to extend his championship lead to 23 points.

Immediately after the race, won by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Hamilton lashed out at his team, accusing them of favouring their German driver Rosberg.

“My question is to Mercedes: we have so many engines made for drivers, but mine are the only ones failing this year,” 31-year-old Hamilton told BBC radio.

Wolff admitted he did not have the answer. “This is a mechanical sport, with so much technology, but sometimes you get blindsided by situations with no rational explanation,” he said. “It’s a

freaky coincidence. “Our guys will get to the bottom of what happened and learn from it. But I want to focus on how Lewis responded in the aftermath. We let him down today and we are beating up ourselves about it.” Hamilton’s emotional outburst, said Wolff, was in the heat of the moment. But he praised his driver for afterwards making peace with the team and refocusing on the next race on Sunday.

‘TRUE CHAMPION’ “What Lewis said, it’s completely understandable. But he came back to the garage and shook the hand of every

team member. “We talked in a small group and we were all really down. Then he stood in front of the team and found the words to lift everybody and help us recover quickly for Japan.

“This is what the great drivers do, the true champions, and I must express my respect for how he conducted himself today. “One of the greatest qualities of our group is how we come back from defeat even stronger than before. We will do that again now, in time for Japan next weekend.” Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe was more forthright in describing what had befallen Hamilton.

“The word is ‘bollocks’ really,” said

Lowe. “This is one of the more difficult races of the year and we approached the weekend knowing it would be tough to get a top result. And so it transpired.

“Lewis was well on track to secure the win. We’re all absolutely devastated for him.” Lowe refuted any talk of conspiracy theories. “One thing we had made a priority was to ensure an equal competition between the drivers,” Lowe said.

“Unfortunately, we have failed in that objective today in brutal fashion.

“We will go away and analyse what happened today, aiming to arrive in Japan prepared to bounce back in the best way we can.” — AFP

West Ham boss Bilic bemoans ‘confidence-killing’ pressure LONDON: West Ham United must find a way to win games to lift the “confidencekilling” pressure on the team, manager Slaven Bilic has said. West Ham have looked a shadow of the side that secured a place in the Europa League after finishing seventh last season.

They endured four consecutive league defeats before Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough leaving the Hammers in the bottom three.

“This is different pressure than last season, when we were fighting for Europe. We are not enjoying this pressure and it’s hard to cope with it,” Bilic told reporters.

“You have to get out of this situation because this pressure stops you from expressing yourself in the best-possible way. This pressure is a confidence killer.”

“This is a negative pressure and positive pressure is different. This is the one which is hard to cope with, but that’s why we have to get a few points and wins to come out of that pressure and get that burden off our back.” The Croat said the club’s summer signings needed time before they could

find their feet in England. Record signing Andre Ayew faces a long spell on the sidelines after injuring his thigh in August, while left back Arthur Masuaku, who joined from Olympiakos Piraeus also in August, is expected to be out till around November due to ligament damage.

“All the summer signings are good players and they will come good, at least that’s what we expect them to do,” Bilic said.

“They came to improve our team and some of them have played really well in some games, but we have to help them also to settle into a new country and new environment as soon as possible.”

Bilic also urged West Ham to avoid overdependence on winger Dimitri Payet, who scored a dazzling solo equaliser against Middlesbrough at the London Stadium.

“We are not a one-player team, but the others have to take their lead from Dimi. I was pleased with our work-rate, but that’s a minimum, as we have to step up our quality in the last third of the pitch,” he added.

“It doesn’t have to be a wonder goal like Dimi’s, but it has to be more.” — Reuters

Guardiola asks for patience after setback at Spurs LONDON: Pep Guardiola advised Manchester City’s supporters it will take up to three years for his methods to fully bear fruit after his side lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur.

City had avoided defeat in the first 11 games of Guardiola’s tenure as manager, but they were given a rude awakening at White Hart Lane on Sunday as Spurs trimmed their Premier League lead to a single point. Guardiola declared Spurs potential champions afterwards, but emphasised-as he had prior to the game-that his team are at a different stage in their development to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Asked if Spurs were title contenders, Guardiola replied: “They were last season.

Why not? The same trainer, new players. In two, three years, my team will be better.

“In that sense it’s normal. In the Premier League there are many teams who can achieve that and Tottenham are one of them.” He added: “They were the better team. It can happen sometimes.

“We play against one team that has been together the last two or three years, who last season were fighting until the end to win the Premier League.” Guardiola, who had seen his team win the first six league games under his stewardship, acknowledged that City had been unable to live with Spurs’ asphyxiating high press.

“We knew how aggressive they are, home and away, but especially at home,” said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach. “Of course it was difficult because we had problems to find the guys when we want to find them and control our game. We lost a lot of balls in positions that were so, so dangerous.

“They were one step in front of us today.

We just can say congratulations Tottenham, because when the opponent is better, you have to accept it and learn from that.”

Aleksandar Kolarov, who struggled during City’s 3-3 Champions League draw at Celtic, gifted Spurs a ninth-minute lead when he inadvertently turned Danny Rose’s

cross into his own net. Son Heung-Min set up Dele Alli to sweep in Spurs’ second goal in the 37th minute and the hosts would have won with even more room to spare had Erik Lamela not seen a penalty parried

by Claudio Bravo.

PENALTY SQUABBLE Alli described the result as a “big statement”, while Pochettino said his team had been “nearly perfect”. The Argentine took particular satisfaction from the fact Spurs had prevented a Guardiola team from dominating possession until the latter stages.

“To play a great team like Man City, you need to do a fantastic job,” Pochettino said.

“In theory we are a team that want to have control always. In front was Manchester City, who want the same as us, then it’s a battle on the pitch.

“For that I feel very pleased because our players showed a big commitment with the philosophy. The way that we played was fantastic. “It’s too early in the season to talk about aims, but it’s important to be consistent. If we can play like this, why not be consistent during the whole season?

“I know it’s a big effort, but that is how we want to play. It was a good example today that we want to follow and build our project.” Son and Lamela argued over who should take the penalty, but Pochettino played down the incident. “When we prepare the game, two, three, four players can take the ball,” he said.

“If it’s (the injured) Harry Kane, he’s the first, and Lamela and Sonny one, two, three.

But different things can happen on the pitch. “Someone can say: ‘I’m confident to shoot the penalty.’ And it’s discussed between them. Always they’re allowed to discuss and take the decision if two players want to shoot.

“It’s difficult, eh, from the touchline, to say ‘No, no, you shoot!’ Because they’re fighting, it’s impossible for them to see us and you’re not allowed to go into the middle of the pitch.” —AFP

Pep Guardiola

DUSSELDORF: File photo taken on November 28, 2015 shows British Tyson Fury celebrates after the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO title bout against Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko in Duesseldorf, western Germany. Fury won the fight after 12 Rounds of Boxing.— AFP

World champion Tyson Fury makes retirement U-turn LONDON: Controversial world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made an abrupt U-turn on his retirement decision yesterday, tweeting: “I’m here to stay.”

“Hahahaha u think you will get rid of the GYPSYKING that easy!!! I’m here to stay,” Fury wrote on Twitter. “#TheGreatest just shows u what the Medea (sic) are like. Tut tut.”

He added: “Soon as I get better I’ll be defending what’s mine the heavyweight thrown (sic).”

The provocative 28-year-old British brawler, dogged by reports he failed a drugs test for cocaine, had earlier declared himself “retired” in a profanity-strewn tweet.

“Boxing is the saddest thing I ever took part in, all a pile of shit,” he had written three hours earlier. “I’m the greatest and I’m also retired...”

Reports by US broadcaster ESPN last week claimed Fury had tested positive for cocaine. The British fighter recently cancelled an October bout with Wladimir Klitschko to defend his WBA and WBO heavyweight belts. Contacted by AFP, Fury’s promoters, Hennessy Sports, said they did not wish to comment. Fury had been scheduled to earn the biggest purse of his career in a rematch with Klitschko at the Manchester Arena after shocking the Ukrainian last November to become world champion.

However, Fury withdrew from that date as his camp claimed he had been “declared mentally unfit to fight”. In another tweet on Monday, Fury said he was “getting the right help” and would “be back even stronger than before”.

ESPN reported Fury tested positive after providing a urine sample to the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in Lancaster, England on September 22. Cocaine, while an illegal drug, is not banned in boxing if taken out of competition.

DOPING HEARING Fury also posted a link to a YouTube video in which he said George Kokkalenios, an American lawyer, was “telling the truth about the corruption in boxing”. The video showed Kokkalenios at the wheel of a car, talking to an unidentified person behind the camera and suggesting Klitschko was somehow involved in the cocaine reports about Fury. “What’s going on with Tyson is really a major travesty,” he said.

“He’s getting railroaded. He’s been completely railroaded by crooked people. He’s not on drugs-I know that for a fact. He’s not taking anything, he’s not doping. The system is corrupt and that’s it. “Klitschko, he is definitely involved in this because he’s got everyone in his pocket. I’m not saying he’s a bad man at all, but I can tell you this for a fact: his wealth carries a lot of influence.” Fury, the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’, also won the IBF belt in his fight against Klitschko, but had to forfeit it after failing to fulfil a mandatory bout against Vyacheslav Glazkov.

A previously scheduled rematch with Klitschko, set for July 9, was scrapped after Fury sustained an ankle injury. Following the cancellation of that fight, it emerged that UK AntiDoping (UKAD) had charged Fury and his cousin, Hughie, with a doping offence. The sample, taken nine months prior to Fury’s sensational victory over Klitschko, contained traces of the banned substance nandrolone.—AFP

Troubled Villa sack Di Matteo LONDON: Roberto Di Matteo was sacked by Aston Villa yesterday after just 12 matches in charge of the troubled Championship club.

Di Matteo was hired by Villa’s new Chinese owner Tony Xia in June and the former Chelsea boss was expected to lead his side into the Premier League.

Villa are playing in the second tier for the first time since 1988 following last season’s relegation, but they have struggled to show any improvement under Di Matteo despite splashing out on several expensive new signings. Saturday’s woeful 2-0 defeat at Preston, which ended with Villa booed off by their furious fans, proved the final straw and 48 hours later the Italian’s 124-day reign was over. “Aston Villa Football Club has today parted company with manager Roberto Di Matteo,” a statement read.

“The club decided to act following a run of disappointing results which has left the team occupying 19th position in the Championship.

“The club would like to place on record its appreciation to Roberto for all his efforts in helping rebuild the squad and wish him well for the future.”

Di Matteo won only one of his 11 Championship fixtures, while also crashing out of the League Cup against fourth tier Luton. The 46-year-old leaves with Villa languishing just two points above the relegation zone in 19th place after a nine-match winless run. He made nine signings for a net spend of

Roberto Di Matteo £34 million ($43 million, 38 million euros), including Ross McCormack and Jonathan Kodjia, but the highly-priced strikers have scored just three goals between them.

Di Matteo’s reign is the shortest of any permanent Villa boss in the club’s history and they are now looking for their fifth full-time manager since February 2014. “A difficult decision 4 the board. But rather sooner than later we’d make the decision. All need learn&not repeat mistakes again&again,” Xia wrote on Twitter after the announcement.

Steve Clarke will take over as Villa’s caretaker manager while the club, already 15 points behind leaders Huddersfield, begin their search for a replacement during the international break.

Former Hull boss Steve Bruce, Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy and Brentford chief Dean Smith are among the early contenders to succeed Di Matteo. — AFP

DOHA: Newly-appointed head coach of Qatar league champions al-Rayyan’s football club, Danish Michael Laudrup (2ndR) poses with his T-shirt next to the team’s manager Ali Salem Afifa (L), the club’s president Sheikh Saud bin Khaled (2ndL) and the secretary general Abdullah al-Mutawa during a press conference yesterday in the capital Doha. Former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Laudrup replaces Jorge Fossati, who was appointed as coach of Qatar’s national team. — AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

S P ORTS

Chadian Ninga overshadows African stars PARIS: France-based Chadian Casimir Ninga was the unlikely star of a largely frustrating weekend for Africans across Europe. The 23-year-old scored his first Ligue 1 hat-trick-twice giving Montpellier a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at fellow strugglers Dijon.

While Ninga sparkled, African stars like Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Ivorian Wilfried Bony wasted scoring chances in the English Premier League.

YANNICK BOLASIE (Everton) The Democratic Republic of Congo winger gave his former team-mates a reminder of what they had been missing with some sublime play down the flanks for Everton in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and the skill that created a chance for Senegalese Idrissa Gueye ought to have been rewarded with a goal.

ENGLAND VICTOR MOSES (Chelsea) The Nigeria winger made his first start for Chelsea since May 2013 at wingback and played his part in a muchimproved defensive display as Antonio Conte’s side won 2-0 at Hull City.

WILFRIED BONY (Stoke City) On loan from Manchester City, the Ivory Coast forward found chances few and far to come by during a hardfought 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

But he should have done better when, in the first half, he mis-kicked at Joe Allen’s inviting cross from the righthand byline.

RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester City) After a season where everything went right for the Algeria flyer and champions Leicester, player and club both endured a frustrating afternoon in a goalless draw with Southampton.

Mahrez, last season’s player of the year, shot woefully wide from the edge of the area just before half-time.

SPAIN KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG (Las Palmas) For the second consecutive game, retired Ghana midfielder Boateng conceded a penalty for hand-ball.

However, this time he wasn’t sent off for the offence and played a big part in Las Palmas’ fight back from 2-0 down

to draw 2-2 at Osasuna. The former AC Milan man also saw a fine strike from outside the box come back off the post.

BAKARY KONE (Malaga) Burkina Faso defender Kone was sent off deep into stoppage time for a reckless second yellow card, but Malaga held on to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 and move out of the relegation zone.

ITALY MOHAMED SALAH (Roma) Salah set Bruno Peres free down the right for Edin Dzeko’s fifth-minute tapin as Roma won 2-1 at home to Inter Milan. The Egypt winger was a constant threat on his way to creating four scoring chances for himself and providing six crosses. Salah, who has three league goals in seven games, should have added one of his own in the first half when a burst of pace took him on to Dzeko’s through ball, but his shot shaved the outside of the upright.

KEITA BALDE (Lazio) Balde suffered an early knock at

Udinese, but made light of the pain to fire Lazio into a 2-0 lead after Ciro Immobile had struck on the half hour for the visitors. Having been frozen out at the capital club amid a contract dispute, the Senegal international now looks to have resolved his issues at Lazio. Keita, who hit the opener last week in a 2-0 win over Empoli, scored in back-to-back Serie A games for the first time.

FRANCE CASIMIR NINGA (Montpellier) The Chad international grabbed his first Ligue 1 hat-trick in a 3-3 draw at Dijon. Ninga’s quickfire double in the first half put Montpellier 2-0 ahead, and he then restored the visitors’ twogoal lead after Dijon pulled one back.

His heroics weren’t enough, though, as Montpellier conceded twice late on and their winless run stretched to seven matches.

CHEICK DOUKOURE (Metz) The Ivorian midfielder was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Monaco’s Kevin N’Doram as promoted Metz suf-

fered a humiliating 7-0 home defeat.

With his side trailing 3-0 on the hour, Doukoure’s dismissal opened the floodgates and Monaco recorded their biggest away league win.

GERMANY LAMINE SANE (Werder Bremen) The Senegal centre-back headed Werder Bremen’s second-half goal in their 2-2 draw at Darmstadt, which keeps them out of the Bundesliga relegation places. After Antonio-Mirko Colak gave the hosts an early lead, Sane headed Bremen level from a Gebre Selassie free-kick.

ERIC CHOUPO-MOTING (Schalke 04) The Cameroon striker converted a penalty in Schalke’s 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, which dragged them off the bottom of the league table. After five straight defeats, the Royal Blues picked up their first win of the season as Choupo -Moting claimed his second league goal of the season after being brought down in the area by Guinea midfielder Ibrahima Traore. —AFP

Southgate eager to move on with England

LAUSANNE: Real Madrid’s head coach Zinedine Zidane gives a press conference, after leading a training session with young football hopefuls yesterday in Lausanne. — AFP

Zidane scrambling for answers after Madrid’s early struggles MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane goes into the long international break with a lot of thinking to do. While the hiatus leaves fans having to mull over the team’s struggles a little longer, Zidane will be able to use the extra time off to find ways to get his squad back on track after four straight draws.

“It’s my responsibility to look for solutions because we’ve got to change things.

We can’t carry on like this,” Zidane said. “I’m not happy, that much is clear.”

Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw by Eibar at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, leaving the field jeered by fans. The team had already failed to beat Las Palmas and Villarreal in the Spanish league, as well as Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Its last win was at Espanyol on Sept. 18. “We need to look for ways to improve and we’ll do that after the international break by working hard. I believe in the work and the quality of this team. I don’t think attitude is the problem but something is wrong,” Zidane said. “We’ve got 10 days without the players and when they come back we’ll have to start working at 100 percent, not only physically but tactically as well. We need to work together.”

Zidane said it’s too early in the season to talk about a crisis, but admitted the team

has to turn things around when it resumes playing in two weeks. “After the start we had to the season, this is tough to take,” he said. “I’m not going to lose my head but it’s tough. We need to work harder and show more intensity at the beginning of games like we’ve done very often, but we’re struggling to replicate that lately.”

Madrid lost the league lead to Atletico Madrid after Sunday’s draw. Atletico, which won 2-0 at Valencia, also has 15 points, but leads Madrid on goal difference. Sevilla is third with 14 points, one more than Barcelona, which lost at Celta Vigo 4-3.

Zidane said he may have to “bring more intensity to the training sessions” to get his players playing hard from the start. Zidane has not been able to count on some players during the winless stretch, including left back Marcelo and defensive midfielder Casemiro, who are injured.

To add to Zidane’s problems, playmaker James Rodriguez sustained a muscle injury while warming up for Sunday ’s game against Eibar, and midfielder Luka Modric will be out for a while after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Madrid’s next chance to snap its winless streak is Oct. 15 at Real Betis, a team which has yet to lose at home. Madrid then hosts sixth-place Athletic Bilbao. — AP

Ranieri plans to rotate tired Leicester stars LEICESTER: Claudio Ranieri has promised to rethink the way he juggles the demands of competing in the Premier League and Champions League after Leicester were held to a lethargic 0-0 draw by Southampton. Ranieri’s side have been unable to reproduce the relentless workrate that carried them to their fairytale title triumph last season and they lie 10 points behind leaders Manchester City following Sunday’s stalemate at the King Power Stadium.Leicester had been perky enough during their midweek Champions League success against Porto, but five days later they were much less vibrant as Southampton dominated for long periods and should have taken all three points.

Ranieri has time to work on a solution during the international break and he conceded it might be wise to rest more players following European matches after making only one change against the Saints at the end of a frantic period of seven matches in 22 days. “I recognise they played better than us and deserved to win,” Ranieri said.

(Kasper) Schmeichel made two or three great saves and they hit the post.

“For us it is ok, one point and a cleansheet. Now I have to think about when we play every three days.

“Maybe it was much better to give some rest to some players. I changed just one player. It is not enough. “It could be the schedule. Maybe we ran more than other matches because it was difficult to stop them.”

After many of Ranieri’s squad head off to play for their countries over the next two weeks, the Italian will face an immediate test of his rotation plan when Leicester return to action.

They have a busy week featuring a trip to Chelsea, a European clash with Copenhagen and finishing at home to Crystal Palace. “How many players stay with me now, six? seven? The rest go for international matches,” Ranieri said. “ Then they come back a few days before Chelsea and we have a Champions League game after that. I have to think hard.”

As well as dealing with the fatigue from Leicester’s hectic schedule, Ranieri also needs to work on his tactics as opponents are finally growing wise to his team’s counter-attacking style. Southampton easily subdued Leicester forwards Jamie Vardy and Islam Slimani and had no problems taking control in midfield either.

“The other teams are very worried with our counter-attack and try to stop us every time. We have to find the solution,” Ranieri added. After a slow star t under new French coach Claude Puel, Southampton are now unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions.

Even more impressive is their record of six clean-sheets during that run, but it was Southampton’s failure to take a host of chances that would have killed off Leicester that Puel was chewing on as he headed back to the south-coast. —AFP

BURTON-ON-TRENT: England’s caretaker manager Gareth Southgate expressed a desire to move on from a “very difficult” week in his introductory press conference yesterday. Southgate, formerly England Under-21s coach, has been placed in charge on a temporary basis after Sam Allardyce left his post as manager last week following just 67 days at the helm.

Allardyce left “by mutual consent” after being caught giving advice about how to circumvent transfer rules and mocking his predecessor, Roy Hodgson, in a newspaper sting.

“I realise the last week has been a very difficult one for our organisation,” Southgate told a press conference at the St George’s Park national football centre in Burton, central England. “I felt it was important to step forward in the leadership position. I’m very much looking forward to working with the players over the next 10 days to get the results the country wants.”

Southgate has recalled Manchester United forwards Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard for England’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers at home to Malta on Saturday and away to Slovenia next week. He also awarded Stoke City full-back Glen Johnson a first international call-up in over two years. Southgate has confirmed that Wayne Rooney will continue as captain.

“The decision to make him captain is quite simple,” Southgate said. “What I felt from what I have seen around St George’s, what I gleaned from talking to staff over the two years, is that he is the outstanding leader in the group.”

England won 1-0 away to Slovakia in Allardyce’s one game in charge. Southgate, a former England centre -back, said he had thanked Allardyce since his predecessor’s departure. “We exchanged messages. From my point of view, that was important,” said the 46-year-

BURTON-UPON-TRENT: England caretaker manager Gareth Southgate gives a press conference at England’s training facility at St George’s Park in Burton-upon-Trent, in central England, ahead of England’s 2018 World Cup qualifying football match against Malta on October 8. — AFP old. “I didn’t want to be seen as someone who was waiting in the wings for an opportunity. I think Sam knew that. I felt it was important to thank him. “The working relationship from my point of view was very positive. He’s got his own situation to deal with and I’ve got to get on with leading the country forward.”

Allardyce’s downfall came amid a spate of revelations about corruption in English football by the Daily Telegraph. Reflecting on the stories, Southgate said: “I’m involved in a sport that I love and an industry that at times I don’t like.

“The detail about what happened last week,

I’m not au fait with. I’ve heard names mentioned and bits of information, but I don’t have the detail, so I don’t think I can speculate.”

Southgate will also take charge of England’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland and friendly against Spain in November. He said he had not had time to think about whether he wants the role full-time.

“I’ve not had a chance to think about anything other than preparing for this week and getting the best results,” he said.

“Everything beyond that can wait until we have time to breathe.” —AFP

Swansea axe Guidolin, hire Bradley as new boss LONDON: Swansea hired former United States coach Bob Bradley as their new manager yesterday after the struggling Premier League club sacked Francesco Guidolin on his birthday.

Guidolin’s 61st birthday quickly turned sour as the Italian learnt he was being forced out after Saturday ’s 2-1 defeat against Liverpool left Swansea just above the relegation zone with only one win from their seven league matches this season.

Guidolin saved Swansea from relegation after joining the south Wales club in January and was given a two-year contract at the end of last season. But an American consortium led by Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien inherited Guidolin when they took over in July and reports began to emerge that his job could be in danger as soon as Swansea began to struggle. After beating Burnley on the opening day of the season, Swansea went on a six-match winless run in the Premier League, including three consecutive defeats. That was enough to convince the Americans to ditch former Udinese boss Guidolin and turn to their compatriot Bradley.

“It is never easy changing managers, but we are looking at a longterm appointment and we are confident Bob can settle us down and stabilise matters on and off the pitch,” Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said.

“We are obviously disappointed to part company with Francesco.

“We felt he deserved his opportunity after the work he did last season.

“Unfortunately we have not been able to carry performances over from last season and we felt we needed to change things as soon as possible in order to move forward in a positive way.

“ We would like to thank Francesco and his staff for their services to the club and wish them well for the future.”

SHREWD MOVE Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who left his role as assistant at Old Trafford following Jose Mourinho’s pre-season arrival, had been linked with the Swansea job.

But Bradley has left French second-tier side Le Havre to move to the Liber ty Stadium, becoming Swansea’s fourth manager in less than a year.

Garr y Monk was sacked in December 2015 and temporarily replaced by Alan Cur tis before Guidolin’s appointment.

Bradley led the US to the 2010 World Cup, where his team earned a 1-1 draw with England in the group stages before losing to Ghana in the last 16. The 58-year-old was dismissed in 2011 after the US lost the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Mexico and subsequently had a two-year spell as Egypt coach which ended when they failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Bradley, whose first match will be at Arsenal on October 15, faces a tough task to keep Swansea from dropping into the Championship.

Swansea are above the relegation zone only on goal difference, but Jenkins believes his appointment will prove a shrewd move. “ We are delighted Bob has agreed to join us,” he added. “He is highly regarded as a coach and has a wealth of experience on the international and domestic front.

“He is well aware of the club’s footballing philosophy and will provide us with strong leadership qualities and a renewed belief to compete at this level.” —AFP

LE HAVRE: This combination file photo shows (Top), Swansea City’s Italian head coach Francesco Guidolin as he looks on before the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Swansea at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on September 18, 2016, and (above) Le Havre’s head coach Bob Bradley as he looks on during the French L2 football match between Le Havre (Havre AC) and Bourg-en-Bresse, on May 13, 2016, at the Oceane stadium, in Le Havre, northwestern France.

Swansea hired former United States coach Bob Bradley as their new manager yesterday, after the struggling Premier League club sacked Francesco Guidolin on his birthday. — AFP

Swansea axe Guidolin, hire Bradley as new boss

USA rips Europe 17-11 to end Ryder Cup drought

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Venus Williams crashes out of China Open

Page 16

HOUSTON: Nick Novak #8 of the Houston Texans attempts a 53 yard field goal in the second quarter during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium on Sunday in Houston, Texas. — AF

Bills humble Brady-less Patriots FOXBOROUGH: Buffalo took advantage of sloppy, Tom Bradyless New England to hand the Patriots their first home shutout at Gillette Stadium, winning 16-0 Sunday. It was the first loss of the season for New England (3-1), which was playing its final game before Brady returns from his four-game “Deflategate” suspension. The Patriots, who moved into Gillette Stadium in 2002, were last blanked at home 6-0 by the New York Jets in 1993 at Foxboro Stadium. Tyrod Taylor connected with LeSean McCoy for a 7-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, Dan Carpenter added three field goals for Buffalo (2-2). It was Buffalo’s second win in its last 16 visits to Foxborough.

Including his tenure with the New York Jets, it gave Bills coach Rex Ryan his first regular-season road victory over Bill Belichick in eight tries. The last Bills’ shutout win away From Orchard Park was 23-0 over Washington in a Buffalo “home” game at Toronto on Oct. 30, 2011. After struggling to maintain drives and finding a run-pass balance, Taylor was spot-on Sunday. He finished 27 for 39 for 246 yards, and directed a unit that was 7 for 15 on third downs. The Bills had been 10 of 36 combined in the first three games. Buffalo’s defense also carried over its dominant effort from its 33-18 win over Arizona, sacking rookie Jacoby Brissett three times.

STEELERS 43, CHIEFS 7 Ben Roethlisberger threw five touchdowns passes for the fifth time in his career as Pittsburgh trounced Kansas City. A week after enduring the club’s worst loss in 27 years, the Steelers (3-1) responded by overwhelming the erratic Chiefs (22). Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown - wearing cleats featuring the profile of golf great and western Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer - for a pair of scores. Roethlisberger also found Markus Wheaton, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jesse James for touchdowns as the Steelers emphatically rebounded from a 31-point meltdown in Philadelphia. The quarterback finished 22 of 27 for 300 yards and a rating of 152.5, just shy of a perfect 158.3 rating. Le’Veon Bell ran for 144 yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 34 yards in his return from a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

COWBOYS 24, 49ERS 17 Ezekiel Elliott ran for 138 yards and a touchdown and Dak Prescott threw for two scores to help the Cowboys overcome an early 14-point deficit to beat the 49ers. The Cowboys (3-1) fell in a 14-point hole early in the second quarter before taking over the game behind a pair of rookies who have helped the team get off to a fast start this season with starting quarterback Tony Romo sidelined by a back injury. Prescott threw for 245 yards and had a 20-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams and a 4-yarder to Brice Butler to tie the game at the half. Elliott then took over with 96 yards rushing in the second half, including a 1-yard run that gave Dallas the lead for good late in the third quarter. Blaine Gabbert got off to a fast start to help San Francisco (1-3) take the early lead but struggled to generate any offense after that.

RAIDERS 28, RAVENS 27 Derek Carr threw four touchdown passes, the last to Michael Crabtree with 2:12 left. After the Ravens rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to go ahead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining, Carr directed a 66-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard strike to Crabtree in the back of the end zone.

Carr went 25 for 35 for 199 yards. Three of his TD passes went to Crabtree, who finished with seven catches for 88 yards to help Oakland (3-1) to its third road win. The Ravens (3-1) trailed 14-3 in the second quarter and 21-12 with 11:11 to go before coming back. A 52-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Steve Smith cut the deficit to 21-19. Ravens defensive tackle Lawrence Guy then forced a fumble by DeAndre Washington, and Baltimore recovered at the Oakland 17. Four plays later, Terrance West scored from the 3 to give Baltimore its first lead.

FALCONS 48, PANTHERS 33 Matt Ryan shredded Carolina’s defense, passing for a teamrecord 503 yards and four touchdowns, Julio Jones had 12

receptions for a Falcons-record 300 yards. The totals by Ryan and Jones are the most ever allowed by Carolina. One week after being held to one catch in a win at New Orleans, Jones had a 75-yard scoring catch late in the game as Atlanta solidified its early hold on the NFC South lead. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, the 2015 league MVP, left in the fourth quarter and was evaluated for concussion symptoms after taking a hit from Deion Jones on a successful 2-point run. There appeared to be helmet-to-helmet contact but there was no penalty on the hit. The defending NFC champion Panthers (1-3) scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including scoring passes from Newton’s replacement, Derek Anderson, to tight end Greg Olsen and Corey Brown. Robert Alford’s 30-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:14 remaining clinched the win for the Falcons (3-1).’

BRONCOS 27, BUCCANEERS 7 Paxton Lynch made his NFL debut sooner than expected, stepping in for injured starter Trevor Siemian to help the Broncos remain unbeaten with a victory over the Buccaneers.

Siemian left the game with two minutes remaining in the first half with what the defending Super Bowl champions described as an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He remained in uniform and watched the second half from the sideline, wearing a baseball cap while Lynch - the 26th pick in this year’s draft- finished the Broncos’ ninth consecutive win. Siemien threw a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, capitalizing on Aqib Talib’s interception and 25-yard return to the Bucs 11 on Tampa Bay’s opening possession. The ex-Buc cornerback also set up another first-half TD with a second interception that led to C.J. Anderson’s 1-yard run for a 14-7 lead. For the second straight week, play was stopped in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium because of inclement weather. The game was suspended for 1 hour, 26 minutes with 6:52 remaining Sunday, with only a few thousand fans returning to their seats for the conclusion.

SAINTS 35, CHARGERS 34 Drew Brees led New Orleans to two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes, 50 seconds to rally the Saints to a stunning victory against Philip Rivers and the Chargers, who blew a 13 -point lead by committing two crucial turnovers. Brees overcome two interceptions to win in his return to San Diego, where he played his first five NFL seasons before being allowed to leave as a free agent. It was also the first win this season for the Saints (1-3). After the final gun, Brees ran over to the stands and greeted Saints fans. With the Chargers (1-3) trying to protect a 34-21 lead, Melvin Gordon fumbled and Darryl Tapp

recovered at the San Diego 13, setting up Brees’ 5-yard TD pass to Michael Thomas on fourth-and-2 to pull to 34-28 with 4:50 to go. Travis Benjamin then fumbled after a reception and Nate Stupar recovered at the San Diego 31. Seven plays later, fullback John Kuhn scored his third TD of the game, on a 1-yard run. The PAT made it 35-34. Rivers, who was Brees’ understudy for his first two NFL seasons, was intercepted by B.W. Webb with 1:10 to go.

RAMS 17, CARDINALS 13 Tavon Austin returned a punt 47 yards to set up Case Keenum’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick with 2:41 to play, and the Rams improved to 3-1 for the first time in a decade with a victory over the Cardinals (1-3). Arizona’s Carson Palmer threw for 288 yards and a touchdown but left the game to be evaluated for a concussion after his head slammed to the turf on a sack by Aaron Donald with 5:40 to play. The play forced a Cardinals punt and Austin raced past would-be tacklers to the Arizona 34. A facemask penalty against Ifeanyi Momah moved the ball to the 19 and the Rams went ahead when Quick caught a pass under tight defense for the score. Arizona backup Drew Stanton was intercepted twice in the final minutes, including on a Hail Mary on the game’s final play.

JAGUARS 30, COLTS 27 Blake Bortles threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Jacksonville held off a furious Indianapolis Colts rally for the Jaguars’ first win of the season. The victory at a raucous Wembley Stadium elevated Jacksonville into a tie with Indianapolis at 1-3 in the AFC South. Andrew Luck led the Colts on three fourth-quarter touchdown drives to rattle the Jaguars’ nerves. But his fourth-and-1 pass at the Jacksonville 49 with 1:36 remaining fell from the hands of tight end Dwayne Allen to preserve the victory for under-fire Jaguars coach Gus Bradley. The Jaguars got a semblance of a running game going for the first time this season. T.J. Yeldon carried 13 times for 68 yards and Bortles added seven scrambles for 36 yards, including a 1-yard run that put Jacksonville ahead 14-6 midway through the second quarter. The Colts repeatedly self-destructed on offense with dropped balls and another costly Luck interception that led to Jacksonville’s opening touchdown. The Colts proved just as reckless on defense as pass interference and unnecessary roughness penalties extended three Jacksonville scoring drives. The Jaguars led 23-6 after three quarters before the Colts mounted a tenacious comeback.

NFL results/standings Jacksonville 30, Indianapolis 27; Houston 27, Tennessee 20; Washington 31, Cleveland 20; Seattle 27, NY Jets 17; Buffalo 16, New England 0; Atlanta 48, Carolina 33; Oakland 28, Baltimore 27; Chicago 17, Detroit 14; Denver 27, Tampa Bay 7; Los Angeles 17, Arizona 13; New Orleans 35, San Diego 34; Dallas 24, San Francisco 17; Pittsburgh 43, Kansas City 14.

New England Buffalo NY Jets Miami Baltimore Pittsburgh Cincinnati Cleveland Houston Jacksonville Tennessee Indianapolis Denver Oakland Kansas City San Diego

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL 3 1 0 0 81 2 2 0 0 87 1 3 0 0 79 1 3 0 0 71 AFC North 3 1 0 0 84 3 1 0 0 108 2 2 0 0 78 0 4 0 1 74 3 1 0 0 69 1 3 0 0 84 1 3 0 0 62 1 3 0 0 108 AFC West 4 0 0 0 111 3 1 0 0 108 2 2 0 0 83 1 3 0 1 121

PF 61 68 105 89

PA PCT .750 .500 .250 .250

72 80 82 115 73 111 84 125

.750 .750 .500 0 .750 .250 .250 .250

64 106 92 108

1.000 .750 .500 .250

Philadelphia Dallas NY Giants Washington Minnesota Green Bay Chicago Detroit Atlanta Tampa Bay Carolina New Orleans Los Angeles Seattle San Francisco Arizona

National Football Conference NFC East 3 0 0 0 92 3 1 0 0 101 2 1 0 0 63 2 2 0 0 99 NFC North 3 0 0 0 64 2 1 0 0 75 1 3 0 0 62 1 3 0 0 95 NFC South 3 1 0 0 152 1 3 0 0 77 1 3 0 0 109 1 3 0 0 114 NFC West 3 1 0 0 63 3 1 0 0 79 1 3 0 0 90 1 3 0 0 92

27 77 61 112

1.000 .750 .667 .500

40 67 97 102

1.000 .667 .250 .250

124 128 118 130

.750 .250 .250 .250

76 54 107 80

.750 .750 .250 .250

SEAHAWKS 27, JETS 17 Russell Wilson was sharp and efficient despite playing with a sprained knee, throwing three touchdown passes. Wilson injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee last week against San Francisco and wasn’t his usual mobile self in this one, but his arm was plenty good. He finished 23 of 32 for 309 yards while wearing a brace on his leg as the Seahawks (3-1) won at MetLife Stadium for the first time since beating the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl in 2014. Jimmy Graham, questionable with back spasms earlier in the week, had six catches for 113 yards, including an impressive 17-yard onehanded grab in the opening quarter, while giving the Jets (1-3) fits all game. Wilson missed the first snap of his career due to injury last weekend after getting pulled down by San Francisco’s Eli Harold. The Seahawks quarterback has also dealt with a sprained right ankle from the opener against Miami. He was efficient against the Jets, especially in the first half when he went 10 of 11 for 191 yards and two TDs and a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating. He finished with minus 5 yards on five rushes for Seattle, which has a bye next weekend. Wilson helped Seattle, making the first of three East Coast trips this season, improve to 8-5 in its last 13 games with a 1 p.m.

Eastern start time. Richard Sherman had two interceptions and Earl Thomas one as Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets couldn’t get much going against the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense.

REDSKINS 31, BROWNS 20 Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Jordan Reed, and the Washington Redskins cashed in on several trips to the red zone. The Redskins (2-2) scored four red zone touchdowns against the Browns (0-4) after going 3 for 14 in their first three games. Cousins connected with Reed for 8- and 9-yard touchdowns, Chris Thompson for a 5-yard score, and running back Matt Jones scored from 1 yard as part of his 117-yard performance. Jones eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, and Cousins finished 21 of 27 for 183 yards and also had an interception.

Browns running back Isaiah Crowell ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, and Cody Kessler was 27 of 38 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But turnovers on three consecutive second-half possessions cost Cleveland a chance at its first victory.

TEXANS 27, TITANS 20 Will Fuller had a tiebreaking 67-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the first time Houston (3-1) played without its star defensive end J.J. Watt since the 2010 season. Watt, out for the season after back surgery, had started 83 straight games since being drafted in 2011. Fuller also had 81 yards receiving and a touchdown. Tennessee (1-3) was driving with less than two minutes remaining, but Marcus Mariota’s pass to former Texan Andre Johnson on fourth down was broken up.

The Texans squandered an early 14-point lead and their offense was struggling in the second half when Fuller took the first return of his career for a touchdown to make it 27-20.

Fuller, who ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine, took the punt and quickly made a trio of Titans miss before outrunning everyone else down the sideline for the score.

BEARS 17, LIONS 14 Brian Hoyer threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears (1-3) got a win after starting 0-3 for the second time in as many seasons under coach John Fox. They also stopped a six-game home losing streak as well as a six-game slide against Detroit (1-3), though things got tight near the end.

Chicago was leading 17-6 when Andre Roberts returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. Golden Tate then caught a 2point conversion pass from Matthew Stafford to cut it to 17-14 with 1:52 left, but the Bears recovered the onside kick. Hoyer was on target in his second straight start with Jay Cutler nursing a sprained right thumb. He was 28 of 36 passes against a defense missing the injured Ezekiel Ansah and DeAndre Levy.

Eddie Royal caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Jordan Howard ran for a career-high 111 yards for Chicago. The Lions dropped their third straight. — AP

Business TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Kuwait’s consumer inflation drops to 2.9% Page 22

Japan big manufacturers’ confidence at new low Page 23 Facebook launches buy and sell ‘marketplace’

Ooredoo delivers progress through global projects

Pages 27

Page 26

JAKARTA: Indonesian models parading in traditional Batik outfits at a display along a street in Jakarta. Indonesia has a rapidly growing middle class, and domestic consumption has been a key pillar of growth. — AFP

UK minister warns of Brexit ‘rollercoaster’ Pound hits three-year low after May remarks BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom: The pound hit a three-year low against the euro yesterday after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will trigger Brexit negotiations by the end of March and her finance minister warned of economic “turbulence”.

Sterling dropped to 87.46 pence against the euro, the lowest level since August 2013, after May’s government gave more details about how Britain will leave the European Union at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, central England.

Speaking before his keynote address yesterday, finance minister Philip Hammond warned Britain’s economy faces “turbulence” as ministers hammer out Brexit, adding consumer and business confidence could go up and down like a “rollercoaster”.

His comments came the day after May revealed Britain would start the two-year exit

process by the end of March, putting it on track to leave by early 2019 and opening the door for painful negotiations with EU partners.

The new premier, who took power in July after David Cameron quit following the Brexit vote, also indicated willingness to leave the single market in order to secure control over immigration from the EU. At the start of the week’s trading in London, sterling also fell to $1.2853 against the dollar, a fall of around 0.5 percent since closing on Friday. “Whilst markets welcome the update (from May), there is still a great degree of uncertainty surrounding what Brexit negotiations will involve,” said Ana Thaker, a market economist at PhillipCapital UK. “It is generally considered that the more May insists on immigration control, the more the EU is likely to close access to the single market,” an analysis but Rabobank Financial Markets Research

added. “The drop in the value of the pound this morning reflects investors’ concerns.”

Long-term uncertainty Britain’s economy has performed more strongly than some analysts expected in the aftermath of June’s surprise Brexit vote. In a key indicator of the strength of the manufacturing sector, the Markit/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) rose to its highest level since mid-2014, according to figures out yesterday. Sterling stabilized on the news, which showed manufacturing had benefited from the lower pound. However, there is uncertainty among many major employers about long-term investment decisions due to Brexit.

Last week, carmaker Nissan’s chief executive Carlos Ghosn said it was delaying new investment at its giant plant in Sunderland,

northeast England, announcing: “We cannot stay if the conditions do not justify that we stay.” Hammond acknowledged Monday that there could be difficult times ahead as Britain negotiates its exit from the EU. “We must expect some turbulence as we go through this negotiating process,” the chancellor of the exchequer told BBC television. “We have to expect a period when confidence will go up and down-perhaps on a bit of a rollercoaster-until we get to a final agreement”. Hammond is seen as a proponent of a more gradual “soft Brexit” that would retain access to the EU’s single market, while other “hard Brexit” proponents in May’s cabinet want a clean break with the EU. He also signalled a break with predecessor George Osborne’s goal of eliminating Britain’s deficit by 2019-2020 and has not set an alternative timetable for balancing the books.

Saudi swings widely, IMF boosts Egypt DUBAI: Gulf stock markets were weak yesterday as Saudi Arabia swung widely, hit by plans for reforms to the telecommunications industry, but Egypt rose sharply on hopes that its International Monetary Fund loan would be finalized soon.

The Saudi index fell more than 2 percent at one stage as Saudi Telecom, the country’s top operator, tumbled as much as 8.5 percent after the government said it would provide telecommunications firms with “unified licenses” allowing them to offer a full range of services. Analysts said this could mean more competition for Saudi Telecom. The stock closed 4.9 percent lower and the Saudi index finished down 0.6 percent at 5,416 points, its lowest close since March 2011, in active trade. On Sunday, the index tumbled 3.1 percent on concern over government austerity measures. Last week it reduced allowances for public sector employees and some investors fear further steps - perhaps new fees or taxes on foreign workers.

Austerity worries caused many stocks exposed to domestic demand to underperformed again on Monday. Retail chain Jarir Marketing sank 4.7 percent and Al Rajhi Bank lost 1.5 percent. On Sunday, the central bank told commercial banks to reschedule the consumer loans of customers hit by the public sector pay cuts, which could cost banks money.

Petrochemical shares, dependent on overseas demand, fared relatively well with Saudi Basic Industries up 0.6 percent.

There was massive trade in a rights issue of Takween Advanced Industries - the

RIYADH: A Saudi man displays gold bracelets at his jewelry shop in Tiba market in the capital Riyadh yesterday. —AFP trading period for the rights ends on to 3,408 points, breaking technical support Thursday. The rights soared 28.7 percent on the August and September lows of while the underlying shares gained 1.4 per- 3,430-3,442 points. That triggered a minor head & shoulders pattern formed by the cent to 11.05 riyals.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, where most highs and lows since July and pointing bourses had been closed on Sunday for down to around 3,250 points. Builder Drake Islamic New Year holidays, sentiment was & Scull, which has substantial operations in weak partly because of concern about the Saudi Arabia, dropped 3.2 percent. Abu Saudi market. Dubai’s index fell 1.9 percent Dhabi lost 1.8 percent as First Gulf Bank slid

2.5 percent, while Qatar fell 0.9 percent as Qatar National bank, the region’s largest listed lender, sank 1.9 percent. In Egypt, the market rose sharply on hopes that an international financing package would be finalised soon after this week’s annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group. The Egyptian stock index climbed 3.2 percent in a broad rally, with investment bank EFG Hermes rising 6.5 percent.

Egypt has reached a staff-level agreement for a $12 billion loan program from the IMF and must secure around $6 billion in bilateral financing to obtain final approval for the program. It has been in talks with China for $2 billion, while Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf states may also provide money.

Officials attending the Washington meetings could finalize the bilateral financing, and Arqaam Capital said in a report that the IMF’s board might then give final approval to its program as soon as in the following week. Arqaam said that at the same time, Egypt might also, at about the same time, take another major step to attract foreign fund inflows and resolve an endemic hard currency shortage with an aggressive devaluation of the Egyptian pound, perhaps to 12 against the US dollar or beyond compared with its current official rate of 8.88.

The central bank could move to a new, hybrid foreign exchange system combining managed and free floats, while hiking interest rates by between 1 and 3 percentage points to ensure market stability, Arqaam said. — Reuters

Instead, Hammond opened the door for more investment to boost Britain’s economy, including the launch of a £3 billion (3.4 billion euro, $3.9 billion) fund to build more than 200,000 new homes. The pound has faced severe pressure on currency markets since Britain voted in June to leave the European Union-handing a boost to the country’s exporters. In a key indicator of the strength of the manufacturing sector, the Markit/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) rose to its highest level since mid-2014, according to figures out yesterday.

“It is... apparent that sterling’s marked weakening is giving an important lift to foreign demand for UK manufactured goods,” said Howard Archer, chief European economist at IHS Global Insight.The pound struck a 31year low against the dollar in the immediate wake of the Brexit vote, at $1.2798. — AFP

Saudi Binladin Group gets delayed funds RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s government has transferred delayed funds to construction giant Saudi Binladin Group so it can pay back-wages to its remaining employees, the company said yesterday.

The firm “received some payment in the last couple of weeks”, Yaseen Alattas, Saudi Binladin Group’s chief communications officer, told AFP. He declined to comment on the amount.

Delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues have dropped significantly over the past two years, have left tens of thousands of employees of the kingdom’s construction firms struggling while they wait for salaries. Alattas said Saudi Binladin Group has already finished payments to around 70,000 laid-off workers.

“They got paid completely with all their due salaries and their final indemnities,” he said, adding that the expatriates among them have gone home. Some workers still with the company have also received their delayed wages, “based on the payments that are coming now from the government”, whose business is the foundation of Saudi construction contracts.

Alattas said those payments will continue “based proportionately to the payments as they come from the government”. He was not specific about how many employees remain with the company, but said it is a “floating number” based on projects.

Alattas has previously said the number of laid-off workers was a fraction of manpower at the Group which built some of the kingdom’s landmarks. The Wall Street Journal, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported Sunday that the government paid Saudi Binladin Group between $800 million and $1.1 billion in September to cover unpaid wages. Alattas told AFP in May that there had been “multiple reasons” for the wage delays, but one was related to “cash flow”. The firm was also suspended for several months from new government projects after a deadly crane accident in September last year at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

Saudi Binladin Group was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed five years ago by US Navy SEALs. Tens of thousands of employees of oncemighty construction firm Saudi Oger are also suffering. Many have gone unpaid for up to nine months. — AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

BUSINESS

Kuwait’s consumer inflation drops to 2.9% NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Inflation in consumer prices retreated slightly to 2.9 percent year-on-year (y/y) in August. The pace remains near 3.0 percent, the average of the last three months, and of the first eight months of the year. The small dip in August was mainly due to a decline in food prices. Food inflation slid into negative territory in August as global food prices remained in decline. However, core inflation (excluding food costs) edged higher, from 3.5 percent y/y in July to 3.7 percent y/y in August as inflation in furnishings & household maintenance, clothing & footwear and ‘other goods & services’ gathered some momentum.

We expect CPI numbers to firm up as early as September when the report will incorporate the recent increase in gasoline. As a result, we project an annual average inflation rate of 3.4 percent in 2016, a tick higher than the 3.3 percent reading in 2015.

Local food prices slipped into deflationary territory in August as global food prices continued to decline. Local food inflation declined in August, albeit marginally, by -0.2 percent y/y. Local food prices have been weighed down by the sustained weakness in international food prices.

According to the Commodity Research Bureau, international commodity food prices fell by -3.2 percent y/y in August.

The tepid growth in local food prices is in turn being echoed in the non-durable goods inflation data, which has

been trending lower since the beginning of this year.

Both furnishings & household maintenance inflation and inflation in clothing & footwear gathered some pace in August. Inflation in the furnishings & household segment rose from 2.6 percent y/y in July to (a still relatively muted) 3.0 percent y/y in August. After almost two years of sub-1

percent y/y rates, clothing & footwear inflation accelerated from 0.5 percent y/y in July to 1.3 percent y/y in August.

The acceleration can be attributed to the higher demand for goods in this segment during the summer holiday season and in preparation for the new academic year in late August/early September. Inflation in the ‘other goods &

services’ category continued to trek higher in August. Price growth in this segment, which is mostly comprised of imported goods, such as personal care products and jewelry, rose from 1.2 percent y/y in July to 1.8 percent y/y in August. The ongoing rise in inflation in this category could be explained by higher jewelry prices, as gold prices continued to rally into August.

Prices in the transportation sector fell for the eighth straight month in August. Transportation costs fell by 1.9 percent y/y, unchanged from June’s reading. Inflation in this sector has been trending lower since at least 2009 mainly due to softer growth in both car prices and airfares.

However, we may see inflationary pressures in this segment rise in the short to medium-term as transport services readjust their prices/fares to reflect the fuel price hike that was imposed this September. The Kuwaiti government reduced petrol subsidies in September in a bid to curb public spending amid dwindling oil revenues. This led to prices at the petrol pump soaring by 62.2 percent on average.

Inflation in services, excluding housing, stood pat at a relatively weak 1.6 percent y/y in August. Inflation in services, which is mainly driven by housing rent inflation, remained unchanged at 5.1 percent y/y during the same month.

Qatar exchange to launch margin trading this week Qatar’s Ras Laffan 2 condensate splitter ready DOHA: The Qatar Stock Exchange will introduce margin trading this week in an effort to boost liquidity on the bourse, its chief executive said yesterday.

Group Securities, a brokerage firm, will be allowed to execute margin trades from Thursday. “This initiative primarily aims to boost liquidity in the market and provide new financing channels for investors, especially those who are willing to buy large amounts of stocks for their portfolios,” Rashid Al-Mansoori, the exchange’s CEO, said in a statement.

Regulated margin trading, in which investors borrow money from a broker to purchase stocks, increasing the size of their bets, has been allowed in the United Arab Emirates since 2012 and Oman since 2013. But Gulf states have been cautious about intro-

ducing such services because of the risk that retail investors - who dominate trading in the region - may struggle to cover positions when the market turns against them.

While not the most illiquid stock market in the Middle East, Qatar struggles to generate large trading volumes, a problem exacerbated by big government holdings in many companies.

Ras Laffan 2 Qatargas, the world’s largest LNG producer, will start operations at its new Ras Laffan 2 condensate splitter by the end of this month, doubling the Gulf state’s capacity to process condensate, two sources with knowledge of the matter said yester-

Egypt’s net foreign reserves rise to $19.592bn in Sept CAIRO: Egypt’s net foreign reserves rose to $19.592 billion at the end of September, jumping from $16.564 billion at the end of the previous month, the central bank said yesterday.

Egypt had roughly $36 billion in reserves before its 2011 uprising ushered in a period of political turmoil, scaring off tourists and foreign investors, key sources of hard currency.

The International Monetary Fund last month agreed in principle to grant Egypt a $12 billion three-year facility to support a government reform program aimed at reducing the budget deficit. Board-level approval depends on the government securing $5-$6 billion in bilateral financing in the first year.

The central bank did not immediately explain the jump in reserves, but Egypt last month received the first $1 billion tranche of a $3 billion World Bank loan aimed at support-

ing the government’s reform program and finances. The United Arab Emirates also agreed in August to provide Egypt’s central bank with a $1 billion deposit for six years, while the government is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia to secure a new deposit worth $2-3 billion that would go towards that requirement.

Egypt’s central bank governor has previously said that he would consider floating the pound, which is currently managed within a tight band to the dollar, should net foreign reserves exceed $25 billion.

Speculation is rife in Egypt that the central bank could devalue the currency any day in an effort to close the gap between the official exchange rate of about 8.8 pounds to the dollar and the black market rate that has fluctuated at levels weaker than 13 pounds in recent weeks. —Reuters

day. The 146,000 barrel per day (bpd) facility had been due to open in September but was delayed due to technical problems, traders said.

It will process deodorized field condensate (DFC) and low sulfur field condensate to extract mostly naphtha and middle distillates.

Condensate exports from Qatar will drop from 500,000 bpd to about 350,000 bpd when the 146,000-bpd splitter starts operating, an official at Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas’s state-owned majority shareholder, has said. That will enable the Gulf state to soak up some of its condensate at home as it faces growing competition for condensate sales overseas from US and Iranian light oil shipments.

Commissioning of the new splitter is “99 percent” complete and an imminent handover to operator Qatargas is likely to see the plant startup “within the next two weeks,” a Doha-based source, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told Reuters.

Japan’s Chiyoda Corp is building the refinery in a joint venture with Taiwan’s CTCI Corp. “We are at the final moment. There were no technical problems from our end,” Chiyoda’s general manager in Qatar, Toshiyuki Ito, told Reuters, but would not confirm a start-up date. Qatari state-marketer Tasweeq withdrew offers for at least 1.5 million barrels of prompt November-loading DFC last week, traders with knowledge of the matter said, possibly indicating the splitter is likely to open imminently.

Initial offers for November-loading cargoes had indicated that the condensate splitter was more likely to start operations in November than October as the oil firm was seen reducing its November feedstock requirements by opting to sell prompt cargoes, traders said.

Tasweeq sold 2 million barrels of DFC for endOctober loading prior to its offers for Novemberloading condensate supplies. —Reuters

RIYADH: A man counts Saudi riyal banknotes at his jewelry shop in Tiba market in the capital Riyadh yesterday. —AFP

Oil breaks above $50 on OPEC output deal LONDON: Oil rose to its highest since August above $50 a barrel yesterday, supported by a planned production cut by exporter club OPEC, although analysts cautioned the stubbornness of the existing supply overhang could temper a longer-lasting rally. December Brent crude futures were last up 40 cents at $50.59 a barrel by 1200 GMT, off a session low of $49.74, while US crude futures rose 42 cents to $48.66 a barrel, above the day’s low at $47.78. Europe’s and Asia’s largest markets, Germany and China, are both shut for public holidays on Monday, limiting trade.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said last week it would cut output to between 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd) and 33.0 million bpd from about 33.5 million bpd, with details to be finalized at its policy meeting in November.

Initial skepticism last week over the effectiveness of the deal in eroding the global

surplus gave way to a wave of short-covering that drove the price above $50 a barrel for the first time since late August yesterday.

“The lukewarm response to the OPEC deal from analysts (rightfully so) probably attracted some premature selling, with technical traders currently in the driving seat. Oil always runs ahead of itself and this time round is no exception,” Saxo Bank manager Ole Hansen said, referring to the price rally.

Aside from doubts over OPEC implementing a final production-cutting deal, those bearish in the market also note the rise in oil output from member countries to a multi-year high in recent months, including exports from Iran that at 2.8 million bpd are close to their 2011 pre-sanctions peak. OPEC’s oil output is likely to reach 33.60 million bpd in September from a revised 33.53 million bpd in August, its highest in recent history, a Reuters survey found on Friday. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal ani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.993 4.542 2.885 2.072 2.839 224.200 38.971 3.853 6.310 8.742 GCC COUNTRIES 80.643 83.070 785.473 803.110 82.335

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 29.050 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 34.423 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.214 Tunisian Dinar 137.760 Jordanian Dinar 426.640 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.015 Syrian Lira 2.0155 Morocco Dirham 31.484 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 302.250 Euro 341.090 Sterling Pound 395.340 Canadian dollar 231.430

Turkish lira Swiss Franc Australian Dollar US Dollar Buying

103.160 314.840 233.640 301.050

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 268.710 137.270 69.480

UAE Exchange Centre WLL Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollr Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 302.450 229.805 392.985 340.530 294.247 799.545 82.575 83.785 81.375 426.180 33.962 2.071 4.527 2.881 3.848 6.270 159.409 3.985 2.410 3.830 73.990

Chinese Yuan Renminbi Thai Bhat Turkish Lira

45.695 9.700 102.000

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

BUY Europe 0.385950 0.004555 0.041469 0.0333735 0.033267 0.083750 0.008997 0.031355 0.305467 0.097808

0.395950 0.016555 0.046469 0.0342735 0.038467 0.083750 0.018997 0.036355 0.316467 0.108108

Australasia 0.222798 0.213191

0.234798 0.222691

Canadian Dollar Georgina Lari US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.224365 0.136487 0.298100 0.298600

0.233365 0.136487 0.302800 0.302800

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar

Asia 0.003299 0.043770 0.036891

0.003883 0.047270 0.039641

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

SELL

Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.004253 0.000019 0.002916 0.003108 0.000264 0.070079 0.002804 0.002740 0.006237 0.000067 0.217526 0.016285 0.001654 0.009493 0.008374

0.004642 0.000025 0.003096 0.003108 0.000279 0.076079 0.002974 0.003030 0.006537 0.000073 0.227526 0.024785 0.002234 0.009673 0.008921

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.795023 0.024009 0.000084 0.000182 0.422075 1.000000 0.000146 0.019737 0.001245 0.778515 0.082196 0.079500 0.001280 0.133780 0.097808 0.080853 0.001366

0.803523 0.029127 0.000085 0.000242 0.431075 1.000000 0.000246 0.043737 0.001880 0.784195 0.083645 0.080800 0.001500 0.141780 0.108108 0.082553 0.001446

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

BUSINESS

German minister leads trade delegation to Iran

TEHRAN: Iran’s Economy Minister Ali Tayebnia (L) and German vice chancellor, Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel sign agreements during a German-Iranian Joint Economic Commission (GWK) meeting in Tehran yesterday.—AFP

TEHRAN: German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel headed a large business delegation to Iran yesterday, seeking to rebuild trade ties and support the country’s opening to the world despite political differences. “We can build on a long tradition of trade cooperation between Iran and Germany. The German economy can play an important role in the modernization of Iran,” Gabriel told reporters.

He was joined by some 120 business representatives and dozens of journalists for the two-day visit to Tehran, and Iranian media said 10 trade deals were signed on areas including banking, energy and water. German companies are putting a lot of hope in Iran, the second-largest economy in the Middle East and one of the world’s last untapped markets for global business.

A nuclear accord with world powers last year saw international sanctions against Iran dropped, though global banks remain reluctant to work with the Islamic republic due to continuing US sanctions.

Gabriel said it was important to overcome financing difficulties, and said he was keen to support the moderate government of President Hassan Rouhani in its efforts to rebuild ties with the world.

“It is in our interest to support the policy of Iran, the policy of your government, to keep opening this country,” he said at the business forum.

“We know there won’t be wonders, but the people want to see that there is progress.” The German minister sparked controversy before his visit when he said that cooperation between the two countries would require Iran to recognize Israel.

“If I were in the place of the honourable government or the foreign minister, I would not have allowed such a person to enter the country,” said the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, according to the Mizanonline news site.

Gabriel acknowledged yesterday that “there are differences between our countries”. “There are many points that connect us, and some points that separate us. In foreign policy we have a different point of view, especially regarding the difficult conflict in Syria. We should talk about this with respect for each other,” he said. He added that Germany supports Iran’s desire to join the World Trade Organization. Trade between the two countrieswhich was 2.4 billion euros last year ($2.7 billion) — grew by 15 percent in the first half of 2016. — AFP

Portugal PM slashes growth forecast LISBON: Portugal’s economy will grow by just over one percent this year, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said in an interview published yesterday, lowering his government’s initial estimate of 1.8 percent growth.

“Everything indicates we will have growth above one percent,” he told daily newspaper Publico, before adding that the expansion of the economy would not be “much greater than that”.

The government’s growth forecast for 2016 has up until now been higher than most major institutions.

The European Commission forecasts the Portuguese economy will expand by 1.5 percent this year while the International

Monetary Fund sees it growing by just 1.3 percent. Many analysts have warned that weak growth could affect the country’s fiscal consolidation. Since coming to power in November 2015, Costa’s centre-left government which supported by the Left Bloc and Communist Party, has rolled back austerity measures taken after Portugal’s 78-billioneuro bailout in 2011. Costa has insisted he will manage to bring the deficit down to below 2.5 percent of economic output this year and meet European Union commitments, down from 4.4 percent in 2015.

The government will table its draft 2017 budget to parliament later this month which will outline its new deficit and growth targets. — AFP

Dutch bank ING cutting 7,000 jobs in digital transformation THE HAGUE: Dutch bank ING, the country’s biggest lender, announced yesterday it was planning to shed some 7,000 jobs mainly in Belgium and The Netherlands to save 900 million euros ($1.01 billion) by 2021. The move is partly directed by the bank’s bid to reshape its services for the digital banking market, in which it said it would be investing some 800 million euros.

“Over the coming five years, around 7,000 functions might be impacted by these effects,” said chief executive Ralph Hamers. Stressing the plans were not yet final, Hamers said the workforce could be reduced by 3,500 posts in Belgium and another 2,300 in The Netherlands. The remaining positions were expected to be cut by external suppliers.

Belgian and Dutch unions reacted angrily, but analysts said the job losses were the result of the online transformation of the banking industry. “Customers are increasingly digital and bank with us more and more through mobile devices,” Hamers said in a statement. They “expect us to adopt new technology as fast as companies in other sectors,” Hamers said, adding ING needs “to offer a better customer experience, that’s instant, personal, frictionless and relevant.” He also highlighted that ING had been hit-like other European banks-by low interest rates in the eurozone and tough regulation.

The “huge reorganization” would hit 12 to 14 percent of ING’s employees, Joost Vespers, an analyst with the Theodoor Gilissen bank, told AFP. “ING actually needs that, because the situation is urgent. It’s a very difficult time for banks. And many banks have a high cost base,” he said, adding ING wanted to stay ahead of the competition.

The Amsterdam-based ING employs some 52,000 people in 40 countries around the world. Saved by the Dutch government with 10-billion-euro bailout in 2008 amid the global financial crisis, it was forced by the European Commission to exit the insurance business. It paid off the loan plus interest in November 2014, well ahead of time. Yesterday’s announcement comes after ABN Amro, the country’s third largest bank, said last month it was shedding 1,375 jobs over the next three years as it moves towards greater digitalization.

Profitability “Traditional banking is going to be considerably reduced,” analyst Thomas Cool told AFP. But he added the loss of 7,000

jobs was “a small number for the company itself”, adding “investors might see it as a better for profitability”. Hamers told the NOS Dutch broadcaster “that every job that disappears is of course one too many”. And the markets seemed to take the announcement in their stride. ING were down 0.3 percent in midday trading on the Amsterdam AEX, which was up 0.4 percent overall.

Hamers acknowledged Monday that “banks are confronted with continuous regulatory burden and a prolonged period of ultra-low interest rates”. “These factors put pressure on the returns which are necessary to fund growth and investments, and cover our cost of capital,” he added. But the Belgian union SETCa called for a strike on Friday, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

While the Dutch FNV union urged ING to “opt for innovation and real jobs”. “We will be watching closely to ensure that the loss of permanent jobs does not lead to an increase in temporary jobs,” said FNV leader Gerard van Hees. In August, ING said it had boosted its operating profits by 26.7 percent in the second quarter to 1.4 billion euros and increased its lending by 15 billion euros on the same period in 2015. — AFP

BRUSSELS: The CEO of the Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation ING, Rik Vandenberghe speaks during a press conference of the ING direction after an extraordinary works council of the ING banking and insurance Group regarding a major restructuring yesterday in Brussels. — AFP

TOKYO: An employee working at the main assembly line of V6 engines at the Iwaki Plant of Japan’s Nissan Motor in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture. Business confidence among Japan’s largest manufacturers is at its lowest since Tokyo introduced measures to kick-start the struggling economy more than three years ago, a central bank survey showed yesterday.—AFP

Japan big manufacturers’ confidence at new low Weak growth, soft inflation in Q2: Survey TOKYO: Business confidence among Japan’s largest manufacturers is at its lowest since Tokyo introduced measures to kick-start the struggling economy more than three years ago, a central bank survey showed yesterday.

The Bank of Japan’s closely watched Tankan report comes after data showing weak growth in the second quarter and as soft inflation and spending figures on Friday underscored the wobbly recovery.

The latest Tankan-a key gauge of Japan Inc’s health-missed market forecasts for a slight improvement in the mood among major firms.

Sentiment among big manufacturers is wallowing at its lowest levels since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicked off his growth blitz, dubbed Abenomics, in 2013.

The survey contradicts Tokyo’s view that the world’s number three economy is on the upswing, said Satoshi Osanai, senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research. “The economy is weak and certainly not in a recovery mode,” he added. “This is more confirmation that Japanese firms are facing headwinds. Conditions remain tough.”

The BoJ’s quarterly survey of more than 10,000 companies is the most comprehensive indicator of how Japan is faring. It marks the difference between the percentage of firms that are upbeat and those that see conditions as

unfavourable. The reading for big manufacturers was unchanged at 6, while the level for big nonmanufacturers fell to 18 from 19. However, confidence among medium and small business improved slightly.

Stock traders were unfazed. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up more than one percent in the afternoon yesterday. Officials are under intense pressure to deliver a boost to the economy with experts increasingly writing off Tokyo’s spend-for-growth policy.

On Friday, official data showed spending among Japanese households tumbled in August and consumer prices fell again-putting the Bank of Japan’s 2.0 percent inflation target further out of reach. The target is a cornerstone of Abe’s faltering attempts to kickstart growth.

Wobbly recovery Last month, the Bank of Japan, which launched a massive bond-purchase stimulus program in 2013, revealed yet another exotic weapon in its monetary policy arsenal. After a hotly anticipated meeting, the bank said it would switch its emphasis from interest rates and concentrate its firepower on 10-year government bonds. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the bank would buy as many or as few of these benchmark instruments as necessary to ensure the yield-the interest rate paid to holdersremained steady at around zero.

The bank said it would cut back on the number of longer dated bonds the bank holds. That should reduce the price of long-term securities, which-in turn-should increase their yield. It was the latest effort to convince Japanese consumers that the price of goods and services will rise in the future.

Some analysts, however, said the move was an admission of defeat in the war on deflation and a warning of the limits of central bank power. “I’m sure the Bank of Japan was hoping for a rebound in the latest Tankan they must be in agony looking at this report,” said Hideo Kumano, an economist at Daiichi Life Research Institute and a former BoJ official.

Tokyo in July announced a whopping 28-trillion-yen ($280-billion) package aimed at kickstarting growth, after Britain’s June vote to quit the European Union sent financial markets into a tailspin and sparked a yen rally. The surge in the currency has taken a bite out of profits at Japanese firms that do business overseas. But Abe’s promises to cut through red tape have been slower, and his plan to buoy Japan’s once-booming economy have looked increasingly unrealistic. The economy contracted in the last three months of 2015, before bouncing back in January-March with a 0.5 percent rise on-quarter and then a 0.2 percent growth in April-June. — AFP

Al-Tijari announces winners of Al-Najma mega draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the mega draw for the 3rd quarter and the daily draw on 3rd October, 2016. The draws were held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The winner of the mega draw of KD 200,000 is Kholood Saleh AlAjmi.

BRUSSELS: ING headquarters Marnix site is pictured during an extraordinary works council of ING banking and insurance Group regarding a major restructuring yesterday in Brussels. — AFP

The winners of the Al-Najma daily draw are: Hussain Rafeeq Shaheen — KD 7000, Fatmah Hussain Sayed Hassan Al-Sayed — KD 7000, Samaher Fahed Al-Aslawi — KD 7000, Mahmoud Ahmed Fouad Hamouda — KD 7000, Shahid Miah Doubars Miah —KD 7000.

Al-Najma awards are now brighter and bigger than ever.

With the revamped Al-Najma account, all your dreams will be turned to reality. On top of offering the highest daily prize in Kuwait for KD 7,000, now our Mega prize draws got bigger to reach KD 250,000.

The new prizes scheme for Al-Najma account Daily draw to win KD 7000 Quarterly draws to win great prizes that would start from KD 100,000 to KD 250,000 1ST quarter —KD 100 000, 2nd quarter — KD150 000, 3rd quarter, KD 200 000, 4th quarter KD 250 000.

With Al-Najma you have more chances to win greater prizes

● Each KD 25 kept in your account gives you one chance to win ● Each KD 25 kept in your account for one week will give you a chance

to enter the daily draw. ● Each KD 25 kept in your account for 3 months will give you chance to enter the quarterly draw.

Additional features ● ATM card ● Issue a credit card against your account ● Obtain all CBK banking services You deserve to win! Open an account now with just KD 500 and you will enter all draws.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

BUSINESS

Sterling hits 3-year low on Brexit fears, stocks dip LONDON: Sterling slid to a three-year low against the euro yesterday after Prime Minister Theresa May set a March deadline for the formal departure process from the European Union to begin, sending British shares to a 16-month high. May told her Conservative Party’s annual conference on Sunday that she was determined to move on with the process and win the “right deal”, in a move to ease fears inside the party that she may delay the divorce.

May said she will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year, referring to the EU’s Lisbon Treaty that formally puts the divorce proceedings between the EU and Britain in place.

This means she kicks off the negotiations process before the French and German elections next year and

implies the two-year Brexit clock triggered under Article 50 will wind down by March 2019, a year before Britain’s next general election. While the March deadline offers some clarity to the process and underpinned stocks, many in the market worry that the government’s stance points to a so-called “hard Brexit” that would see the UK left outside the single market in favor of strict controls on migration. Though the economy has shown resilience post-referendum, fears of a slowdown in business investment and the wider economy will undermine the pound and the focus turns to possible further easing by the Bank of England in the coming months.

Sterling fell 1 percent to $1.2845, its weakest since early July and not far from the 31-year low of $1.2798

struck on July 6, just days after the June 23 referendum on EU membership. It hit a three-year low against the euro.

“For market participants the key soundbite was that regaining control over EU immigration into the UK would be the priority ahead of membership of the single market,” said Shilen Shah, bond strategist at Investec Wealth and Investment. “Sterling has the potential to come under further pressure given the probable stalling of foreign direct investments.”

Investors worry a “hard exit” from Europe’s single market or what the Royal Bank of Canada dubbed as “Smexit”-or single-market exit-will drag Britain into a recession and blow out its ballooning current account deficit, already among the highest in the developed

world. A wider current account gap and slowing foreign investments tends to be a drag on the currency.

“May’s stance is a reminder that uncertainties related to “Smexit” turbulence could be costly for the economy in the short run,” said Sam Hill, RBC Capital Markets senior economist.

STOCKS AND GILTS HIGHER For now though, sterling’s weakness was helping British exports and the economy. Data released on Monday showed factory activity grew at the fastest rate in more than two years last month.

September’s factory PMI exceeded all forecasts in a Reuters poll of 28 economists, and suggested manufacturing growth in the third quarter will be the strongest so far this year. Britain’s blue chip FTSE 100 index rose 1.2 percent hitting its highest level since June 2015, with expectations of further easing by the BoE also boosting sentiment. The index had fallen sharply after the June vote, but has since recovered and is up nearly 10 percent, thanks to the large number of internationally facing firms listed that have benefited from a fall in sterling.

“As a result of Prime Minister May’s announcement ... the pound has weakened significantly, which is actually seen as a good thing by the FTSE 100 as it’s quite an export-heavy index,” said Henry Croft, Research Analyst at Accendo Markets.

British government bond prices rose slightly while expectations that the BOE could ease policy in February rose just a bit, pricing in the swaps market showed.

ASIAN MARKETS RALLY Asian markets rallied yesterday with financials up on easing fears about the future of German giant Deutsche Bank after a source said it was nearing a deal to slash a multi-billion-dollar US fine. Traders fled for cover last week, sending stocks reeling Friday, after US officials slapped the lender with a $14 billion charge over its role in the subprime mortgage crisis.

In Japan, the Nikkei ended 0.9 percent higher, with investors brushing off the closely watched Tankan survey showing Japanese business confidence at its lowest in three years.

LENDERS RALLY Hong Kong gained 1.2 percent, Sydney closed 0.8 percent higher and Jakarta put on 1.3 percent. There were also strong gains in Taipei and Manila. The advance tracked a rally on US and European markets. Investors also welcomed the weekend release of a gauge of Chinese factory activity that indicated continued improvement in the world’s number two economy. Among the main winners were banks, with Sydney-listed Commonwealth Bank up 1.5 percent, while HSBC was up 1.6 percent in Hong Kong. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group added 0.4 percent in Tokyo.

Shanghai, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur were closed for public holidays. European markets started the day on a high, with London up 0.7 percent and Paris gaining 0.2 percent. Frankfurt was 1.1 percent higher with Deutsche Bank extending Friday’s rally. —Agencies

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

BUSINESS

Daimler and Renault-Nissan alliance deepening in 2016 DUBAI: The strategic partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG is maturing as it enters its seventh year in 2016, the companies’ leaders said yesterday in their annual media update during the Paris International Motor Show.

“The partnership between Daimler and the Alliance has grown and matured,” said Carlos Ghosn, Alliance Chairman and CEO. “It is based on a spirit of cooperation and trust that has strengthened over the years. The results have clearly benefitted both partners. By sharing development and production costs, we have been able to enter new segments and offer our customers more compelling vehicles with the latest technology and features at more competitive prices.”

Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, added: “Over the last seven years we’ve established a partnership that extends from parts to platforms, from co-development to co-production and from cars to commercial vehicles. And we did so in project-oriented, diverse teams that share competences across continents. They are driven by the best ideas - may they originate in Paris, Stuttgart, or Yokohama. So, our future cooperation continues to hold great promise.”

Major milestones of the past year include: * EV versions of the new smart fortwo, smart cabrio and smart forfour*: These all-new smart and the Renault Twingo were the first vehicles built on a common platform by Daimler and the Alliance. Launched in 2014, the smart two-seater is built at Daimler’s Hambach plant (France), whereas both four-seater vehicles are produced at Renault’s plant in Novo Mesto (Slovenia). Initial customer reaction to all three models has been highly positive. The project has therefore been further expanded, as announced earlier by the two executives. EV versions of the smart fortwo, smart cabrio and smart forfour debuted here at the Paris Motor Show. The new motors are being built at the Renault plant in Cleon. The battery of the new smart electric drive is produced by the Daimler subsidiar y, “Deutsche ACCUmotive,” in Kamenz, Germany. This means smart is the first brand to offer its entire portfolio with both a combustion engine and also battery-electric drive. * First joint production facility COMPAS established: Nissan and Daimler broke ground on the US$ 1 billion Aguascalientes (Mexico) plant in 2015, which will produce next-generation premium compact vehicles for Infiniti as of

2017 and for Mercedes-Benz starting in 2018. The staffing and equipping of the plant started in May 2016 according to plan. Construction will be completed in 2017, followed by preparation for pilot production of Infiniti vehicles. A new quality evaluation standard will be implemented at the facility to assure the delivery of premium-model quality. The plant is expected to produce more than 230,000 cars a year by 2020. The vehicles will also be produced at other Daimler and Nissan plants in Europe and China. * Expansion of the cooperation to 1-ton pickup trucks: In 2015, Daimler and Nissan announced the joint development of the first Mercedes-Benz pickup truck. The new pickup will share some of its architecture with the all-new Nissan NP300. It will be engineered and designed by Daimler to meet the specific needs of its customers in Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America. The vehicle will have all of Mercedes-Benz’ distinctive characteristics and features. Production of the Mercedes-Benz pickup truck will take place at the Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina, and at Nissan’s Barcelona plant in Spain, where the Nissan NP300 Frontier and the Renault Alaskan will also be produced. In October, MercedesBenz will provide further insights into the new pickup truck’s design, strategy and markets. * Joint engine production in North America: Joint engine development and production in addition to engine crosssupply projects mark a one of a kind cooperation in the powertrain segment covering engines and transmissions. The Nissan Decherd plant in Tennessee, USA, is an example of this success with joint engine production. In June 2014, production of 2-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engines was started for Nissan; operations for Daimler engines followed in October 2014. Since then, the plant has produced about a quarter of a million engines. Plant expansion was decided upon early in 2016 and is now being implemented. The Nissan Decherd plant has become an important pillar of Daimler’s flexible, global production network (i.e. in addition to serving local demand, the plant exports engines to Mercedes sites in East London (South Africa) as well as machined components to Germany).

When the Daimler-Alliance partnership was launched in April 2010, the scope of the original collaboration was limited to three projects, primarily in Europe. Since then, the combined portfolio shared between the partners is growing in all fields (products, engines and cross-supplying) in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Burgan Bank announces Yawmi account winners KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5,000 each, and they are: 1. Adel Mubarak Naser Al-Slaihem 2. Faiez Mohammad Soubh 3. Naveed Afzal Afzal Ahmed 4. Salah Ahmad Abdulkareem Al-Bader 5. Zahra Hussen Ali Al-Attar In addition to the daily draw, Burgan Bank also offers a Quarterly Draw with more chances to win higher rewards, entitling one lucky customer to win KD 125,000 every three months. The Yawmi Account offers Daily and quarterly Draws, the Quarterly Draw requires customers to maintain a minimum amount of KD 500 in their account for 2 months prior to draw

date. Additionally, every KD 10 in the account, will entitle customers to one chance of winning. If the account balance is KD 500 and above, the account holder will be qualified for both the quarterly and daily draws.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning.

For more information on opening a Yawmi account or about the new quarterly draw, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services.

Ooredoo delivers progress through global projects Potential of mobile technology yet to be fully unleashed: Report DOHA: A year after pledging its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the “Global Goals”, Ooredoo continues to build on the power of mobile broadband to enrich people’s lives and make a difference in the communities in which it operates.

Responding to the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Global Goals in 2015, Ooredoo provided an update on its on-going initiatives underway across its international footprint. It also pledged to build on these programs, further their reach and continue to innovate as they work to transform the UN’s mission statements into reality.

Ooredoo’s initiatives align to three of the seventeen ‘Global Goals’ - Goal 3: Good Health; Goal 5: Gender Equality, and Goal 9: Innovation & Infrastructure. One of Ooredoo’s flagship projects, ‘MayMay’, is an excellent example of the direct contribution mobile technology can make to improve the lives of people and create an allround healthier world for tomorrow. MayMay is Myanmar’s first mobile app for maternal and child health, which is bridging the mobile and health sectors to help ensure that a wealth of useful maternal, child health and wellness information is readily available to women across the country both during and after pregnancy. There is fast-growing demand for the service, which is a great example of the benefits of having a mobile phone in today’s digital world.

Gender equality Achieving gender equality through the empowerment of women is another key area for Ooredoo, and one that sits at the heart of its own corporate culture. Ooredoo’s companies are

proud to take the lead in providing award-winning services for women in markets ranging from Iraq to Indonesia, bringing more women online, boosting national GDP and helping create fair and equal access. Indosat Ooredoo’s Wobe (short for ‘Women Benefit’), a micro-business app with e-wallet, was developed precisely with that vision. By facilitating access to mobile phones and improving financial literacy and business skills, Wobe’s ultimate goal is to empower women in Southeast Asia and provide them with new opportunities.

Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al-Thani, Group CEO, Ooredoo commented: “The mobile sector has an important role to play in helping the UN achieve

The latest State of Broadband report, released just last week, concluded that while Internet access is approaching saturation in richer nations, connectivity is still not advancing fast enough to help bridge development gaps in areas like education and health care for those in poorer parts of the world.

The report highlighted how the potential of mobile technology towards achieving the UN’s targets is yet to be fully unleashed, but this requires further combined investments in access, skills, and education.

Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al-Thani, Group CEO, Ooredoo added: “The report reconfirms that we are heading in the right direction. According to

the Global Goals. Across our footprint, we are witnessing how we can make a real difference around some of the fundamental issues that the Goals address. The social impact of mobile technology in general is unprecedented, and is driving extraordinary economic growth and new ways of delivering education, health and rural development. Over the past year we have worked hard to contribute to the sustainable development of the communities in which we operate. Today, we look back with great satisfaction at our achievements, but also aware there is still a long way ahead of us. At Ooredoo we are determined to continue playing our part to achieve the Global Goals.”

the latest figures, 3.5 billion people will be using the Internet by the end of this year, up from 3.2 billion in 2015 and equating to 47% of the global population. However, more still needs to be done to ensure the full potential of broadband connectivity is fully unleashed, particularly if we want to maximize the contribution it could actually have to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“The State of Broadband 2016” is the sixth edition of the Commission’s broadband connectivity report. Released annually, it is the only report that features country-by-country rankings based on access and affordability for over 160 economies worldwide.

Choppy market performance amid low trading activity KAMCO GCC Markets Monthly Report KUWAIT: After four consecutive months of decline, the KSE Weighted index witnessed a gain of 1.3 percent during September-16, the highest in the GCC during the month, as investors targeted large cap buying opportunity. This was also reflected in the KSE15 Index that surged an even higher 1.5 percent during the month, whereas the KSE price index declined marginally by 0.4 percent. A majority of the stocks in the KSE-15 index closed the month with a gain with Zain advancing 4.7 percent followed by Americana at 3.3 percent. Shares in the latter went up after the company’s biggest shareholder said the conditions to sell its 69 percent stake in the company to Adeptio, a Dubai-based investment group, have been met, clearing the way for the completion of the $2.4 billion deal.

In terms of sector performance, the two large cap indices, Telecom and Banks, were the top performers during the month. The Telecom index topped the monthly chart with a gain of 2.4 percent, primarily led by gain in shares of Zain (+4.7 percent) and Ooredoo (+1.8 percent), whereas the other two stocks in the sector (Viva and Hits Telecom) declined. On the other hand, KIB was the only decliner during the month in the banking sector witnessing a decline of 2.1 percent, while shares of CBK, which has been one of the worst performing banking stocks over the past few months, saw strong gains of 28.1 percent, although there was no apparent catalyst to support this increase. On the decliners side, the Oil & Gas Index witnessed the steepest decline of 1.5 percent followed by the Insurance Index and Real Estate Index with declines of 1.4 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.

Trading activity on the exchange declined during the month due to the holidays. Total volume traded fell by 37 percent to reach 902 million shares, one of the lowest levels ever recorded, whereas the total value of shares traded during the month declined by an even steeper 43 percent to reach KD 87 million. The average daily volume and value traded also declined by 9.3 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively. At the company level, Zain (+4.7 percent) topped the monthly value traded chart with KD 10.1 million worth of shares traded during the month followed by KFH (+2.2 percent) and Americana (+3.3 percent) recording KD 9.1 million and KD 7.5 million in monthly value traded, respectively. In terms of volume, Al-Mal Investment (+7.1 percent) topped the chart with 70.6 million shares traded during the month followed by AlMudon International Real Estate (+13.7 percent) and Al-Salam Group Holding (-7.8 percent) recording 58.8 million and 39.6 million shares during the month.

The monthly gainers chart was led by Remal with a return of 53.1 percent followed by GFC (+33.3 percent) and CBK (+28.1 percent). On the decliners side, Tahsillat topped the chart with a decline of 19.7 percent followed by Danah Al-Safat Foodstuff and Senergy with declines of 18.3 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. The monthly market breadth was skewed towards decliners that included 80 companies as against gainers that included 57 stocks. Price of 48 stocks remained unchanged during the month.

eration sending a strong signal to the oil market. But oil prices started declining, after the optimism surrounding the expected production cut announcement at the informal OPEC meet in Algeria faded. In addition, the uncertainty surrounding the US Fed interest rate hike during the month, which impacts the Saudi Riyal due to its USD peg also kept investor sentiments fragile.

The benchmark continued its descent after the markets opened after the holidays until the announcement of an agreement to curb output at the OPEC meet provided some hopes. In response, the Petrochemical Index surged supporting the overall the market. However, the tough austerity measures announced by the government affected investor sentiments that pushed markets downward as the decision to slash public sector bonuses, cut ministers salaries as well as various other measures intended to curb subsidies threatened consumer spending in the Kingdom.

Moreover, the continued decline for most of the later part of the month indicated investor’s weariness about further austerity measures in the coming months.

Saudi Arabia (Tadawul) The Tadawul All-Share Index continued to be the worst performing market for the second consecutive month declining by 7.5 percent in September-16, the steepest monthly decline since January-16. The month started with few positive trading sessions after Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed on an oil market coop-

Dubai Financial Market DFM index slid in Sep-16 after remaining one of the only two markets in the GCC which were able to close higher for the previous month. DFM closed the month marginally lower by 0.9 percent at 3474.38 points.

Sectoral trends were mixed, as indices that lost ground during the month were led by Industrials with a

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange The ADX index which witnessed the second highest decline in the GCC for the month of Aug-16, was able to close marginally up in Sep -16. The index closed at 4476.32 points, as sectoral indices included

both gainers and decliners for the month. Consumer Staples names which fell the most during the month of Aug-16 (-20 percent), retraced by 6.1 percent. The largest stock in the the Consumer Staples index Agthia Group moved up by 5.9 percent in the current month, after declining by 23.3 percent in Aug-16.

Other sectors which improved, were Telecoms and Banks, which went up by 1.3 percent and 0.7 percent respectively. Banks went up primarily due to positive performance from large caps FGB, NBAD & ADCB as they improved by 0.85 percent, 0.66 percent and 0.47 percent respectively. The Services index was the largest decliner amongst sectors as it went down by 7.9 percent, as two of its stocks Abu Dhabi National Hotels and Emirates Driving Company featured amongst the largest decliners in the ADX index. The Industrials and Energy indices also closed lower for the month receding by 4.8 percent and 3.8 percent.

decline of 10 percent, after gaining 6 percent in the month prior, followed by Consumer Staples that declined by 3.7 percent. Banks declined by 0.4 percent, primarily due to the drop in Emirates NBD & Dubai Islamic Bank shares, as their stock prices receded by 2.5 percent and 0.7 percent respectively. The Real Estate & Construction index was also down by 0.7 percent m-om driven mainly by Emaar Malls, which declined by 1.5 percent as compared to Aug-16. Amongst the key indices that gained ground during the month, was Services that closed up 6.3 percent, driven by a 17.2 percent jump in the stock price of Tabreed.

In other corporate developments, Gulf General Investment Co (GGICO) is reportedly seeking to restructure loans linked to an AED 2.8 billion debt plan which it agreed four years ago, according to Reuters. GGICO which is reportedly 50 percent owned by the Al-Sari family from the emirate of Sharjah, requested close to 27 of its lenders to help it restructure its debt.

Separately Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), has reportedly bought the minority stake that Imperial Bank directors held in its Kenyan subsidiary as it awaits the issuance of an operating license to formally enter the East African market. The Islamic lender had reportedly formed a partnership with Imperial Bank, which held a 24.9 percent stake in the Kenyan subsidiary through Downstream Investments, a firm owned by

nine companies, eight of which owned 100 percent of Imperial Bank.

Qatar Exchange After remaining the best performing index in the GCC for two months in a row, the QE 20 index swung into the negative and was the second worst performing index in the region. The index went down by 5 percent m-o-m, and closed at 10435.46 points. The Qatar All Share index also receded by 4.8 percent for the month, as all sectoral indices but one ended the month in the red. Market breadth was particularly skewed towards the negative as only 4 stocks advanced during the month as against 39 names which lost ground. The index was pulled down mainly

by Real Estate index, which went down by 8.8 percent for the month, followed by Telecoms, which went down by 6.9 percent. Banks & Financial Services index also receded by 4.7 percent, as banks came under pressure post the release of central bank data which suggested that bank liquidity had worsened due to worsening of loans-to-deposits ratio. The only index which went up during the period was the Insurance index, which went up by 1.4 percent, as large cap Qatar Insurance which went up 2.2 percent was able to buoy the index higher.

1.8 million KFHOnline logins in August: KFH KUWAIT: The number of logins conducted on Kuwait Finance House KFH’s app KFHOnline on IOS, Android, and full browser exceeded 1.8 million in August. This large number of logins carried out on KFHOnline affirms the reliability of KFH’s platforms and the consistent e-services that are tailored to meet all clients’ needs round the clock whilst providing the highest standards of service quality in a secure and easy manner.

The logins were categorized as 1.08 million, 304 thousand, 230 thousand and 186 thousand logins on IOS, Android, full browser, and tablets respectively.

The purposes of the logins were mainly distributed on services like account state-

ments, activating ATM card, adding KFH payee, add SMS service, add telex payee, payment, request and statement, charity transfers, cheque book request, installment payment, credit card reporting, open time deposit, purchase prepaid cards, standing order statements, transfers, utility payment and other e -services that have become essential for clients. This prompts KFH to continue its efforts to render high end services in accordance with highest standards of quality and excellence.

KFH has launched a new e-service that allows KFH customer subscribed to KFH’s SMS

Baitak notification service to receive Push message-type notifications - in addition to the regular SMS notifications - onto their smartphones.

KFH’s e-Banking customers who are also SMS Baitak subscribers will be able to register to - and receive - the free Push messages via the KFHOnline Smartphone app, and will also be able to receive and view the Push messages using the smartphone apps.

The bank has also launched two new innovative features on its application KFHOnline. The new features are: Outlets, Offers & Services where the ‘Outlets’ enables

customers to conveniently brows though their favorite brands by interest & category in a more visual and interactive oriented style, listing all the discounts and offers via KFH cards. Hence the best way to benefit from this feature is to access it prior to login into the app, and simply browse all discounts before making a purchasing decision which would offer the customer the advantage and benefits of saving more.

KFH exerts every effort in an attempt to cope with the latest banking technology and improve its services that seek to address clients’ needs and meet their ambitions.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

technology

Facebook launches buy and sell ‘marketplace’ ‘Lite’ version of Messenger overseas unveiled NEW YORK: Facebook says some 450 million people use its site - mainly the “Groups” feature - to buy and sell stuff locally, anything from cars to baby clothes to furniture. Now, the company is launching a separate “marketplace” section that seeks to make it easier to do this.

The last time Facebook tried its hand at such a marketplace was nine years ago, and it didn’t really go anywhere. Like Facebook itself at the time, it was a desktop computer-only product. The latest effort, or course, works on mobile devices, so it’s

easier to snap a photo of the item you are selling and upload it on the site. Facebook Inc said yesterday the most popular items people currently buy and sell on the service include furniture, cars and clothes.Facebook said the new program formalizes what some members have already been doing in Facebook Groups for years.

“Facebook is where people connect, and in recent years more people have been using Facebook to connect in another way: buying and selling with each other,” said product manager

BERLIN: The “Facebook”-logo on the sidelines of a press preview of the so-called “Facebook Innovation Hub” in Berlin. Facebook yesterday launched a new online “Marketplace” allowing members of the huge social network to buy and sell with each other. —AFP

A Facebook Like Button logo displayed on a window of a store in Palo Alto, California. —AFP

Mary Ku in a blog post.

“This activity started in Facebook Groups and has grown substantially. More than 450 million people visit buy and sell groups each month-from families in a local neighborhood to collectors around the world.” The new feature helps facilitate this with “a convenient destination to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community,” Ku said. Marketplace will display photos of items for sale based on proximity, and users can adjust their location and search for specific items or categories such as clothing, household items or electronics.The new feature will be rolling out to over-18 users in the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand in the coming days on the Facebook app for iPhone and Android, with additional countries and a desktop version in the coming months.

Messenger chat app Facebook is also launching a “lite” version of its Messenger chat app. It is aimed at emerging markets, where many people use older phones that don’t have enough room to store or ability to run the full-featured application due to slower internet speeds or other issues.

“Messenger Lite” will be available on Android devices in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela beginning on Monday. The company did not say when it would be available in other countries or whether it is also coming to Apple devices (although Android is far more popular in emerging markets than even older iPhones).

There is already a “Facebook Lite” available for people whose phones are too old or simple to run the full-fledged Facebook. Messenger Lite is a similarly slimmed-down version of Messenger. It will let people send text, photos and links but won’t do video calls, for example.

The move comes as the social media giant moves to force users to adopt Messenger if they want to send each other direct messages, instead of the main Facebook site or app. It is working: more than 1 billion people use Messenger each month. For a while, there was a loophole - you could log in to Facebook’s mobile website to access messages. But Facebook is ending this option, too, so Messenger will be people’s only option.

David Marcus, head of messaging products at Facebook Inc, said in an interview that Messenger’s goal is to be a “product for everyone, not only people who can afford a higher-end device and more expensive data plan.”

He called the web-based messaging experience on Facebook a “remnant of the past” and added that he “can’t think of any other mobile messaging service that has a web version.”

Facebook, he said, decided on the five initial countries to launch Messenger Lite in because there are a lot of Messenger users in these countries on older devices. WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook but operated as a separate entity, is also popular in emerging markets.

Marcus said people use the apps for different reasons and they are not in direct competition.

WhatsApp also has more than 1 billion users, and many people use both services. —AP

8th Automechanika Network spotlights key trends impacting wider Mideast DUBAI: More than 100 professionals of the Middle East’s automotive aftermarket gathered in Dubai to discuss the future trends in their industry, with the rise of digitization likely to have a major impact on the way they do business in the region.

Valued at $367 billion in 2015, the global market for replacement parts is estimated to increase to $384 billion in 2016 according to analysts Frost & Sullivan, while in the Middle East, spare parts revenue was worth US$12.98 billion in 2015, and estimated to reach US$17.27 billion by 2020, growing annually by 5.9 per cent.

Subhash Joshi, Associate Industry Director for Automotive & Transportation Practice at Frost & Sullivan, was speaking at the 8th Automechanika Network at the H Hotel in Dubai today, highlighting the global and regional trends in the automotive industry.

Joshi said increasing urbanization is leading to the creation of new retail formats and smart distribution networks, with growing connectivity transforming automotive retail.

“The multi-channel strategy of the future would include the unbundling of the retail business from the favoured one-stop-shop model to an unbundled approach with multi-

ple services and products being aggregated and offered online,” said Joshi. “Effective retailers are adapting their strategies to include digital flagship stores, lifestyle and pop-up stores, mobile and online retailing.”

Joshi said these trends are coming to the Middle East too, with dealer groups and aftermarket service providers creating new digital roles to enhance the customer experience.

“The use of technology is set to make a telling impact in the way vehicles are serviced with specific app-based programs running full diagnostic checks and vehicle tests,” he added.

The Automechanika Network brings together key industry players for a formal gathering discussing different topics related to the global and Middle East automotive aftermarket.

The highly popular biannual event is organized by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Automechanika Dubai, the Middle East and Africa’s largest automotive aftermarket exhibition, and Automechanika Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s dedicated aftermarket show.

Effective forum “The Automechanika Network has proved an effective forum for regional industry stakeholders to interact with thought leaders and

global players while discussing key issues that impact the industry worldwide and in particular, their effects on the region,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.

“The current topic has particular resonance in the region, which is among the more active automotive aftermarkets in the world,” he added.

The most recent edition of Automechanika Dubai in May 2016 featured 2,017 exhibitors from 58 countries, and attracted 30,018 visitors from 138 countries. The 15th edition will take place from 7-9 May 2017 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Meanwhile, the 2nd edition of Automechanika Jeddah will take place from 31 January - 2 February 2017 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, as more than 180 exhibitors from 25 countries take aim at the Kingdom’s thriving $2.6 billion aftermarket.

Figures released by Saudi’s General Authority for Statistics showed Saudi imported $2.53 billion worth of auto parts and accessories, passenger and commercial vehicle tyres, and batteries in 2015, while re-exports in the same year was worth $51 million.

Kaspersky Lab investigates near-future threats to ATMs DUBAI: Kaspersky Lab experts have investigated how cybercriminals could exploit new ATM authentication technologies planned by banks. While many financial organizations consider biometric-based solutions to be one of the most promising additions to current authentication methods, if not a complete replacement for them, cybercriminals see biometrics as a new opportunity to steal sensitive information.

ATMs have for years been in the sights of fraudsters hunting credit card data. It all started with primitive skimmers homemade devices attached to an ATM, capable of stealing information from the card’s magnetic strip and pin-code with help of a fake ATM pin pad or a web camera. Over time, the design of such devices was improved to make them less visible. With the implementation of much harder, but not impossible to clone chip-and-pin payment cards the devices evolved into so-called ‘shimmers’: largely the same, but able to gather information from the card’s chip, giving sufficient information to conduct an online relay attack. The banking industry is responding with new authentication solutions, some of which are based on biometrics.

According to a Kaspersky Lab investigation into underground cybercrime, there are already at least twelve sellers offering skimmers capable of stealing victims’ fingerprints. And at least three underground sellers are already researching devices that could illegally obtain data from palm vein and iris recognition systems.

The first wave of biometric skimmers was observed in “presale testing” in September 2015. Evidence collected by Kaspersky Lab researchers reveals that during the initial testing, developers discovered several bugs. However, the main

problem was the use of GSM modules for biometric data transfer - they were too slow to transfer the large volume of data obtained. As a result, new versions of skimmers will use other, faster data transfer technologies.

There are also signs of ongoing discussions in underground communities regarding the development of mobile applications based on placing masks over a human face. With such an app, attackers can take a person’s photo posted on social media and use it to fool a facial recognition system.

“The problem with biometrics is that, unlike passwords or pin codes which can be easily modified in the event of compromise, it is impossible to change your fingerprint or iris image. Thus if your data is compromised once, it won’t be safe to use that authentication method again.

That is why it is extremely important to keep such data secure and transmit it in a secure way. Biometric data is also recorded in modern passports - called epassports - and visas. So, if an attacker steals an e-passport, they don’t just possess the document, but also that person’s biometric data. They have stolen a person’s identity”, said Olga Kochetova, security expert at Kaspersky Lab. The use of tools capable of compromising biometric data is not the only potential cyberthreat facing ATMs, according to the Kaspersky Lab researchers. Hackers will continue to conduct malware-based attacks, blackbox attacks and network attacks to seize data that can later be used to steal money from banks and its customers.

Read the full threat overview report about upcoming cyberthreats to cash machines, and measures that can protect banks from these threats on Securelist.com.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Healthy body & healthy mind at IISM KG

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ndia international school, Mangaf KG organized ‘Healthy body & Healthy mind’, to teach our tiny buddies the basics personal hygiene for keeping themselves healthy and clean. So our kindergarten teachers organized a workshop on Healthy Hand wash. Children were shown how to use Hand wash dispenser, proper technique of Brushing and Healthy Diet Tiffin.

Great effort was taken by the KG teachers to arrange a puppet show

where the puppets enacted the proper ethics and etiquettes and encouraged the children to do the same. The event was motivated and inspired by Director Mr. Malayil Moosa Koya and Principal Mr. FM. Basheer Ahmed. The amazing week came to an end with humble appreciation to Mrs. Nilofar Qazi, KG Head and all the teachers for their relentless and untiring efforts.

How do you get one? 5 things to know about the Nobel Prizes Most lucrative award STOCKHOLM: Actors yearn for Oscars, athletes crave Olympic gold - but for scientists, writers and champions of world peace, there’s no bigger honor than a Nobel Prize.

The Nobel judges will announce the winners of the 2016 awards beginning this week, one prize a day, starting with medicine on Monday.

Here are five things to know about the prestigious prizes, created by 19th-century Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel.

What’s the big deal?

The prestige of the Nobel Prizes comes down to history and cash, says Gustav Kallstrand, curator of the Nobel Museum in Stockholm.

Each award is currently worth 8 million Swedish kronor - about $930,000, making the Nobel Prizes among the world’s most lucrative awards. Kallstrand says when they were first handed out in 1901, the prize money equaled about 20 years of a professor’s salary.

Today the money is secondary, he said. For many, the biggest reward is joining the likes of Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ernest Hemingway in the pantheon of Nobel laureates.

Why the hush-hush?

Ask Nobel judges about the front-runners for this year’s awards and they will clam up as if they’re protecting secret nuclear codes.

The Nobel statutes prohibit them from discussing any nominations - besides the winners for half a century. Kallstrand says there are two reasons for this secrecy. One is that judges want to spare those who were nominated, but didn’t win, the stress of feeling like they lost. “The Nobel Prize isn’t a competition in that sense,” he says. The other reason is to safeguard the independence of the Nobel judges. In the early days of the prize, Kallstrand says, the world scientific community was quite small, so the judges often knew the nominees and those who nominated them. By keeping the deliberations secret, judges could feel free to speak candidly about the candidates.

Who are the judges?

In his 1895 will, Nobel specified which institutions should select the winners. For the medicine award, he gave the task to Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute. The Royal Swedish

Academy of sciences got the physics and chemistry awards and the Swedish Academy, which is a different body, got the literature prize.

In a decision lamented by many a Swede, he gave the peace prize - the most high-profile trophy of them all - to a panel selected by the Parliament of neighboring Norway.

Nobel never explained his reasoning, but Norway and Sweden were joined in a union at the time. Also, Norway was a small, peaceful country on Europe’s periphery. Perhaps Nobel felt it was more suitable for a peace prize than Sweden, which had a history of military aggression against its neighbors, and coerced Norway into a union after losing control of Finland to Russia.

Is the economics award a Nobel Prize?

Strictly speaking, no. Nobel didn’t mention a prize for economics in his will. It was created in 1968 in his memory by the Riksbank, the central bank of Sweden. Still, the economics award is handed out with the others, with the same pomp

and fanfare, at the annual award ceremony on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death in 1896.

But the Nobel Foundation, which administers the awards, still won’t call it a Nobel Prize. Officially it’s called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

How do you win a Nobel Prize?

Laureates often get asked this question, and their standard reply is “work hard and follow your passion.” It helps, of course, to make a groundbreaking discovery like X-rays or penicillin. In the science categories, winners often have to wait decades before the Nobel judges feel confident their discovery has withstood the test of time.

It’s different for the peace prize, which is often intended as a shot in the arm to someone in the midst of a struggle for peace or democracy. That explains why some peace prizes, in hindsight, can seem a bit premature - like the 1994 award for a Middle East peace agreement that is now in tatters.—AP

Recent winners of Nobel Prize in Medicine STOCKHOLM: Here is a list of the winners of the Nobel Medicine Prize in the past 10 years, which was awarded yesterday to Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi : 2016: Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for his work on autophagy-a process whereby cells “eat themselves”-which when disrupted can cause Parkinson’s and diabetes.

2015: William Campbell (US citizen born in Ireland) and Satoshi Omura (Japan), Tu Youyou (China) for unlocking treatments for malaria and roundworm.

2014: John O’Keefe (Britain, US), Edvard I. Moser and May-Britt Moser (Norway) for discovering how the brain navigates with an “inner GPS”.

2013: Thomas C. Suedhof (US citizen born in Germany), James E. Rothman and Randy W. Schekman (US) for work on how the cell organizes its transport system.

2012: Shinya Yamanaka (Japan) and John

B. Gurdon (Britain) for discoveries showing how adult cells can be transformed back into stem cells.

2011: Bruce Beutler (US), Jules Hoffmann (French citizen born in Luxembourg) and Ralph Steinman (Canada) for work on the body’s immune system.

2010: Robert G. Edwards (Britain) for the development of in-vitro fertilisation.

2009: Elizabeth Blackburn (Australia-US), Carol Greider and Jack Szostak (US) for discovering how chromosomes are protected by telomeres, a key factor in the ageing process.

2008: Harald zur Hausen (Germany), Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier (France) for work on the viruses causing cervical cancer and AIDS. 2007: Martin Evans (Britain), Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies (US) for work on gene modifications in mice using embryonic stem cells. —AFP

WARSAW: People attend the anti-government, pro-abortion demonstration in front of Polish Pariament on Saturday.—AP

Black-clad Poles protest proposal to completely ban abortion WARSAW: Thousands of Poles, many dressed in black, rallied Saturday in front of parliament in Warsaw to protest a proposed bill that would impose a complete ban on abortion.

Speakers at the so-called “Black Protest” said a total ban on abortion, including for victims of rape or women whose lives are endangered by a pregnancy, would be “barbaric.” Poland already has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws.

Organizers chose black as a symbol of mourning for the loss of reproductive rights that that say women could suffer if the law passes. In rallying speeches, they said they want as few abortions as possible in Poland, but that this goal should be achieved with better sex education in schools and easier access to birth control.

“We will not allow our hospitals to be turned into torture chambers and our doctors into prison guards,” Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak, a member of the leftwing Together party, told the crowd.

Protesters chanted “Stop the fanatics!” and “We want doctors not, missionaries,” while slogans on banners included: “My body, my choice.”

Police estimated 5,000 people took part.

Furious One protester, Gosia Goszczynska, 36, said she is furious not only about a possible total abortion ban, but also other elements of the law which she sees as harmful to

women, including a provision that would deny women prenatal testing.

“And it’s terrible to force a rape victim to have her child if she doesn’t want it - this could even lead to cases of women killing their unwanted children after birth,” Goszczynska said. “I don’t agree with this at all. It’s just not acceptable.”

The proposal for the total ban on abortion, and the outrage it has sparked, are the latest example of deepening social tensions under Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party, which took power last year and holds a majority in the parliament.

The proposal for the stricter law came from a citizens’ initiative that had gathered 450,000 signatures. While many in Law and Justice profess a strong allegiance to the Catholic church, they are divided over further restricting the abortion law. The current law already bans abortions unless the woman’s life is at risk, the pregnancy results from rape or incest or the fetus is badly damaged.

The total abortion ban proposal is now being examined by a parliamentary commission and it isn’t clear what form it might eventually take. A vote is not expected for weeks. A separate citizens’ initiative presented to parliament had called for a liberalization of the abortion law, allowing the procedure up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but lawmakers voted not to discuss that proposal. Another protest against the abortion ban is planned. —AP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Crowd sourcing effort takes aim at deadliest breast cancers Spitting in a tube unites

MIAMI BEACH: In this Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 photo, vacant areas of dirt sit at the entrance to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. —AP

Growers: Bromeliads aren’t to blame for Zika in Miami Beach all pulled out MIAMI BEACH: Just over a month ago, Miami Beach Botanical Garden was home to over 2,000 colorful, water-trapping bromeliads, some featuring red flowers that burst like fireworks from dark green spirals. Identified as breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry Zika, they’ve all been pulled out, leaving shallow depressions in flower beds and exposing irrigation lines.

Walking through the quiet haven in South Beach recently, executive director Sandy Shapiro pointed to where spiky yellow leaves once topped a block of stone at the entrance gate and where thick leaves with purple speckles would have served as camouflage for a 3-foot iguana sunbathing at the edge of a small pool. Only mulch fills those spaces now.

“It’s been disastrous,” Shapiro said at a meeting she hosted Sept. 20 to calm gardeners and growers angry about recommendations to uproot bromeliads to stop the spread of Zika.

All bromeliads pulled City officials pulled all bromeliads from the 2.6-acre garden in South Beach, as well as from medians and parks, at the end of August. They also recommended all Miami Beach residents and businesses do the same, because mosquitoes can breed in water trapped by bromeliads’ cylindrical centers, formed by leaves growing out in spiral patterns. Residents elsewhere in South Florida also have followed suit.

The garden is within the large portion of Miami Beach, a 7-mile-long barrier island, that Florida health officials believe is the only current area of active Zika transmission. The state’s bromeliad-growing community has reacted with dismay, saying bromeliads have been scapegoated and that instead of fueling Zika fears, the city could be adjusting landscaping practices to make bromeliads less hospitable to mosquitoes.

Bromeliads aren’t the only plants that trap water in their leaves, and growers say debris like lawn clippings that fall into gutters, flower pots or other items that collect water are as much to blame for providing organic materials that mosquito larvae eat.

“It’s heartbreaking to have bromeliads ripped out when they’re not the main culprit,” said Jenessa Kauth, an employee at Bullis Bromeliads in Princeton, Florida.

City officials say they’re targeting mosquitoes, not bromeliads, to stop the spread of a virus that can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including disastrously small heads, when pregnant women become infected. Zika can also be sexually

transmitted, but in a Sept. 23 report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily blamed mosquitoes for the cluster of Zika infections in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

“We were made aware by the Florida Department of Health of this ideal breeding ground, and upon meticulous inspection of our own plant inventories, we found the existence of mosquito breeding to be frequent. Our top priority is to keep Miami Beach residents and visitors safe,” Melissa Berthier, spokeswoman for the city manager, said in an email.

Growers worry bromeliads could face a similar fate as hundreds of thousands of orange, grapefruit and key lime trees in Florida. State agriculture officials cut down even healthy trees between 2000 and 2006 to try eradicating a bacterial disease threatening Florida’s citrus industry.

Bacterial pesticides Elsewhere in Miami-Dade County, officials recommend treating bromeliads with bacterial pesticides and regular hosings to flush out mosquito larvae, but suburban homeowners apparently are listening to officials in Miami Beach and uprooting bromeliads from their yards, according to Alex Bello, incoming president of the Bromeliad Society of South Florida.

“Driving around, I have been seeing landscapers ripping everything out,” Bello said. “I’m picking bromeliads out of the trash that are worth $75 to $100.”

Florida sales of bromeliads for indoor and patio use totaled $38.8 million in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2014 Census of Horticultural Specialties.

Bromeliad sales for outdoor landscaping add roughly $7.8 million more, according to Ben Bolusky, CEO of the Florida Nursey, Growers and Landscape Association.

Brandon Cornejo, a design staff member at the Miami landscape architecture firm Raymond Jungles Inc., said that instead of removing bromeliads from designs, as the company did with citrus trees, the firm recommends ways to keep them mosquitofree: plant them where they can easily be flushed with a hose to remove larvae and faded blooms, tree leaves or other decaying material.

Miami Beach, however, will replace its bromeliads with different plants. The cityowned botanical garden was one of five South Beach locations where Zika-infected mosquitoes were caught in traps. County officials say the number of mosquitoes that can transmit Zika has dropped in the garden since mid-August. — AP

CHICAGO: Forget the pink ribbons. Spitting in a tube for science is what unites a growing group of breast cancer patients taking part in a unique project to advance treatment for the deadliest form of the disease.

For many of the 150,000-plus patients nationwide whose tumors have spread to bones, brains, lungs or other distant organs, the hue heralding breast cancer awareness and survival each October is a little too rosy. They know cancer will likely kill them. And they’ve often felt neglected by mainstream advocacy and medical research.

But now they have a way to get involved, with a big new project that aims to gather enormous troves of information about their diseases in hopes of finding new and better ways of treating patients like them - women whose cancer has spread, or metastasized, and left them nearly out of options. “Patients want to live and we know that research is the way that we’re going to be able to live,” said Beth Caldwell, a former civil rights attorney in Seattle diagnosed with metastatic disease in 2014.

The idea is to gather molecular and genetic clues from as broad a group of metastatic breast cancer patients as possible. With data from thousands of people, researchers think they will be better able target treatments or come up with new ones by answering important questions about the disease. For example: Is there something unique about tumors that spread to the brain, or that recur many years after diagnosis?

What allows a very few women to outlive others by many years despite the same prognosis?

Additional hurdles Most breast cancer patients are treated at centers that don’t do research on tumors, so participating in studies at academic medical centers far from home is cumbersome at best. Patients sick or dying from their disease face additional hurdles.

This project is different. Patients sign up online, mail in saliva kits for genetic testing, and allow use of their tumor tissue samples and medical records. Researchers use social media to keep them posted about progress, and periodically invite participants to visit the Cambridge, Massachusetts, lab where their specimens are being analyzed.

Using word of mouth and social media, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project, run by scientists at Harvard and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Broad Institute, has enrolled more than 2,600 patients so far since launching last October. It’s a pace nearly unheard of in medical research.

“I enrolled from my recliner in my living room.

I did my spit tube in bed,” Caldwell said.

The mother of two turns 40 on Thursday, and cancer has reached her brain, lungs, bones and liver. She tries to stay positive, but October “is a month where I just want to hide under the covers and check out,” Caldwell said. “I just don’t want to be confronted with all this pink

garbage.” Lara MacGregor, who runs a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit group for cancer patients, said she feels the same way.

“Everything about breast cancer is about survivors and beating cancer,” MacGregor said. “And we’re sitting in the wings saying, “I’m never going to celebrate the end of treatment.’”

MacGregor was pregnant when diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2007. She had both breasts removed plus chemotherapy, and went on with her life thinking she was cured until two years ago, when tests for nagging back pain revealed cancer had returned and spread to her bones. Now 39, MacGregor read about the project online, decided immediately to take part, and emailed dozens of friends and connections who also signed on.

Before she mailed her saliva kit, “my 8-yearold drew a picture on the box and said, ‘thanks for helping my mom,’” MacGregor said. “I hope that real data about real people is going lead to better treatment options,” she said. “My life depends on it.”

Diagnoses statistics More than 200,000 people, mostly women, are diagnosed with breast cancer nationwide each year. Most are diagnosed when cancer is at an early, potentially curable, stage. For about 6 percent, or 15,000 patients, the disease has

already spread at diagnosis.

And for about 30 percent of patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, the disease will eventually recur in distant parts of the body.

The average survival for patients with metastatic disease is about three years.

According to a 2014 analysis from an alliance of breast cancer advocacy groups, less than 10 percent of government and nonprofit groups’ investment in breast cancer research in recent years went to studying metastatic disease.

“Metastatic breast cancer in general is an understudied area,” says Mark Hurlbert of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “We don’t know, for example, how the tumor has changed. Is it the same makeup as it was before? Do cells have a different molecular profile than cancer that started first in the breast?”

By gathering large numbers of tissue samples and information about how the diseases progresses in different people, the project may be able to uncover useful trends. It has produced a few enticing clues already, including small groups of patients who’ve responded unusually well to standard chemotherapy or to new immunotherapy drugs - some have survived for 10 years or more. The researchers hope DNA analyses will help explain why and lead to treatments that will improve the odds for all patients with the disease. — AP

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Lara MacGregor, a participant in a new crowd sourcing project for metastatic breast cancer research, poses for a photo as she undergoes treatment at the Norton Cancer Center on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. —AP

Hospitals under attack in war zones KABUL: Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has hit out at the “unprecedented” number of attacks on medical facilities in Syria and Yemen, a year after the deadly bombing of its hospital in Afghanistan killed 42 people.

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the US strike on the trauma centre in Kunduz, which triggered global outrage and forced President Barack Obama to make a rare apology on behalf of the US military still deployed in war-torn Afghanistan. “Over the past year, we recorded 77 attacks against medical facilities operated or supported by MSF in Syria and Yemen: this is unprecedented,” Meinie Nicolai, MSF president, told reporters in Kabul.

“Hospitals are now part of the battlefield,” she added.

MSF has said the raid on the hospital in Kunduz last October by a AC-130 gunship lasted nearly an hour and left patients burning in their beds with some victims decapitated and suffering traumatic amputations. The organization has branded it a war crime. However, an investigation by the US military earlier this year concluded that the troops targeted the facility by mistake and decided they would not face war crimes charges.

MSF had called repeatedly called for an independent international inquiry. The charity spoke out as condemnation grew over the bombing of hospitals in the rebel-held east of the Syrian city

of Aleppo, which has been under attack by the regime and its ally Russia. “Health facilities and staff are targeted in Yemen and Syria ... most often in the name of war against terrorism,” Nicolai said.

“In Syria, attacks against medical centers for civilians and against ambulances are systematic.” She added: “As of today, we are not back yet in Kunduz. We have left northern Yemen. We struggle to give support to the people in Syria.”

Guilhem Molinie, MSF country representative in Afghanistan, said he had access to 700 of the 3,000 pages of the US report on Kunduz-the rest were classified. “The US forces, operating in Kunduz on that date, assumed that self-defense was allowing them to attack,” he said. — AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

W H AT ’ S O N

Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah brings elegance with modern twist

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ovenpick Hotels & Resorts yesterday opened the doors to the Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah, a unique European-style property in one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing cities. The 228-room property, which marks the Swiss hospitality firm’s third hotel in Jeddah and 11th in the Kingdom, seamlessly blends a classical interior design with a contemporary facade and the latest modern comforts.

Ideally located near to both the Al Harthy Exhibition Centre and Mall of Arabia, and just a 15-minute drive from King Abdulaziz International Airport, the five-star hotel meets the diverse needs of business, leisure and MICErelated travelers. The deal to manage Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah has been signed with AlTayyar Travel Group, a

major player in the Middle East’s tourism industry and the only publicly-listed travel group in Saudi Arabia.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Abdullah Aldawood, said Movenpick Hotels & Resorts had been selected to operate the property due to its “strong track record operating successful properties across Jeddah and Saudi Arabia”. “We are therefore confident that our new project, Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah, will set new hospitality standards in this area of the city, catering well to its thriving business and leisure tourism industry,” he added. Hotel facilities include eight flexible meeting rooms featuring natural light and the latest AV equipment, an elegant Palladian-style ballroom capable of accommodating up to 600 guests, the Al Maha Health Club & Spa and an inviting rooftop swimming pool.

“Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah introduces a new European-style hotel concept to the city, offering guests timeless elegance across every touch point, from its classical interior design to traditional cuisine, but executed with a distinct modern edge and complemented with the latest technology and amenities,” said Andreas Mattmuller, Chief Operating Officer, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and South Asia. There are three restaurants from which to choose, including all-day dining outlet Al Deira, the glamorous Al Moltaqa Cafe, and Al Zohoor Garden located next to the rooftop pool. To celebrate the opening of Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah, the property is offering a 25% discount on reserved room prices, which start at SAR 700 per room, per night.

Bayan Health Center organized a health awareness day on Monday. Sebamed participated in the event which educated the public on how to deal with their blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, oral and skin care.

Babu Parassery wins the K T Muhammed Theatre award

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T Muhammed Padanavedi, a Kuwait-based Indian socio cultural organization announced Babu Parassery as the winner of this year’s K T Muhammed Nataka Award. Parassery, a famous drama artist and Kozhikode District Panchayat president was chosen for the prize in view of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam theatre especially to K T Muhammed’s dramas, the organizers said in a press release.

The award was instituted in memory of renowned Malayalam playwright and screenplay writer late K T Muhammed. The award, comprising Rs 33,333 and a citation, would be presented ate function in Kuwait on October 14, 2016 at United Indian School, Abbasiya from 6 PM onwards according, said K T Muhammed Padanavedi -Kuwait General Convener Shyjith K, Program Convener K Hassan Koya and Advisory board members Lissy Kuriakose, K Aboobacker and V P Mukesh.

K T Muhammed Padanavedi-Kuwait is a non-religious social gathering of art, literature and drama lovers in

Kuwait who are influenced by the dramas of late Muhammed. “Our ultimate aim is to explore the relevance and influences of Muhammad’s works in the contemporary society and its art. Also we are trying to encourage the Kuwait society’s eminent personalities who are part of the Kuwait’s art, drama, media, music, social and cultural fields,” the organizers said. Padanavedi is conducting an honorary function in which it will honor 17 talented personalities in various fields.

Their names are as follows. (1) C Bhaskaran (2) Joy Mundackatt (3) Sharafudheen Kanneth (4) Chacko George Kutty (5) Backer Thikkodi (6) Malayil Moosa Koya (7) P C Hareesh (8) John Arts (9) Sajeev K Peter (10) Suresh Tholambra (11) Dileep Naderi (12) Deepu Mohandas (13) Rafi Kozhikode (14) Rafi Kallai (15) Shaiju Pallippuram (16) Sindhu Ramesh and (17) Biju Thikkodi.

Last year Padanavedi honored 12 persons who are actively involved in Kuwait’s drama field. It has also conducted theatre symposium and introductory sessions on two newly-published Malayalam books.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

W H AT ’ S O N

BEC Exchange announces grand prize winner of the BMW 3 Series

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EC Exchange Company (BEC), one of Kuwait’s leading Money Transfer and Foreign Exchange Company yesterday announced the grand prize winner of its latest ‘BOB’s CAR BONANZA ‘campaign. The lucky winner Shamon C Jacob (from India) was presented with the prize of a BMW 3 Series at BEC Head Office in the presence of BEC’s General Manager Mathews Varughese and other BEC officials.

The ‘BOB’s CAR BONANZA ‘campaign which started on the 1st June 2016 until 17th September 2016, gave all BEC customers who undertook a remittance or foreign exchange transaction at one of BEC’s 41 branches, during the campaign period, an opportunity to be automatically entered into monthly draw for the month that they transacted along with the Grand prize of BMW 3 Series for all customers who have transacted throughout the campaign.

Commenting on his win, Shamon C Jacob a regular BEC customer said, “I am very delighted to win this car and thrilled to win through BEC from whom I have been sending money from over ten years”. Mathews Varughese, added ‘At BEC we are committed to continually rewarding our loyal customers as well as attracting new customers to BEC to experience our customer service and quality product offering, which differentiates us from our competitors and we are delighted to present the winners’. Each of the previous three monthly draws saw A Prem Arumaidurai, Arul Kesavan and Muhammad Yasin drive away with a fantastic brand new Toyota Yaris.

Established in 1992, BEC specializes in sending money worldwide, safely and efficiently, at competitive rates. It is parented by BFC Group Holdings, the leading remittance and foreign exchange group in

the region which has over 100 branches across Bahrain, Kuwait, the UK, India and Malaysia. BEC has a global reach covering over 200 countries, through its own money transfer product - EzRemit and its

partnership with MoneyGram an international money transfer company and offers customers unparalleled remittance and foreign exchange products and services.

IES students visit ABK Marina Hotel hosts authentic ‘Cuban Night’

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arina Hotel, will be hosting on the 4th and 5th of October 2016 Authentic “Cuban nights” at the Six Palms restaurant. The event will be held in the presence of a number of dignitaries including His Excellency Andres Gonzalez Garrido, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cubaand Nabil Hammoud General Manager of Marina Hotel Kuwait and Hotel the Management team.

Well-renowned Chef Ciro Eddy Fernandez Monte, President of the Federation of culinary association of the Republic of Cuba, and Chef Odlavin M Castellanos flew in from Cuba especially for this occasion; together with the Marina Hotel culinary team they will be presenting Cuban signature dishes, displayed in all eye catching details, and a menu of flavorsome and artistically presented

Cuban varieties embodying a Caribbean flair and incorporating ingredients rarely tasted outside of Cuba.

Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Andres Gonzalez Garrido, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba says “We are very happy to be part of this event as it is a good opportunity for both Kuwaiti citizens and residents of Kuwait to experience the taste of Cuba. Such events will with no doubt strengthen the bond with the people of Kuwait particularly with the increasing number of Kuwait tourists visiting the Republic of Cuba”.

In the same context, Nabil Hammoud General Manager of Marina Hotel Kuwait says: “We are exceptionally delighted to be bringing in to Kuwait such distinguish and one of a kind culinary and cultural experience. We are inviting our guests to savor genuine Cuban buffet while they listen to carefully selected compilation of Havana tunes. The Cuban night will certainly allow for a true exchange of cultures between the two countries and will enrich Marina hotel’s International cousin in many ways”.

The distinctive Cuban cuisine will be revealed at the Six Palms Restaurant highlighting Cuba’s tastiest classic and modern dishes such as black beans, Picadillo, RopaVieja and Arroz con pollo. The event will go beyond guest’s expectations and will take them miles away, where the ambience will reflect the Cuban touch through festive and original decor, and colorful Cuban modern art embodying the spirit of Havana. Adding a magical touch to the evening, guests will enjoy the gourmet dinner with traditional salsatunes from Cuba. For more information and reservations please contact Marina Hotel 22230030 or visit their website www.marinahotel.com

I

ndian Educational School, (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan) Kuwait’s secondary commerce batches of students visited a bank recently. The event was held at the Al Hawally training Center of Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait. It was a day full of learning and enlightenment. The students got a chance to step out of their routine classroom environment, and get connected to the real Business World. They not only got an insight on learning banking but different aspects of Business including Finance, Public Relations, Marketing, Human resource and Information Technology.

This extremely well-structured and interesting training session began with a fun filled ice breaker followed by a presentation on the Banking System in Kuwait, and the Vision and Mission of Al Ahli Bank by zestful and enthusiastic Abdullah Behbehani and Fatima. Through the highly interactive session by Fajr Al Kindari from the Public Relations department the students learnt about Corporate Social Responsibility, writing a press release etc.

The students were very keen to know more about taking Public Relations as their career. They were taken around in small groups to the different sections of the bank and explained in detail about the Banking opera-

tions by Abdul Wahab. Paulson and Sebastian explained complex financial matters in a clear and very simple manner and lived up to what Al Ahli Bank says “Re-imaging to a simpler Bank”- which doesn’t mean doing simple things but doing it in a simpler way.

The session with the HR and the insights on intern-

TSC holds ‘blood drive’ for employees and customers

T

he Sultan Center recently held a blood drive “Give Little-Save Many”, an annual campaign initiated by the Sultan Center (TSC) at its branch in Souq Sharq in conjunction with Kuwait Central Blood Bank on Thursday, September 29th 2016. TSC’s initiative stems from its social commitment to reinforce the wellbeing of the community and to support KCBB and those in need of blood.

The blood drive was attended by a large number

of volunteers; employees and customers who have shared their power to save lives by donating blood.

Lisa Al-Ghareeb-Marketing Manager at TSCsaid: “Our blood drives have been highly successful we are pleased to have customers and employees’ donate to support this cause. It is evident that our employees feel good about helping out our community and realize the importance of saving lives

through the gift of a blood donation”. She added: “we embrace our responsibility to host initiatives that improve lives and in this case, can save lives.

The Sultan Center has a long standing commitment to supporting blood drives within the communities it operates by and creating awareness of the need to support and save lives through the gift of blood donations”. TSC would like to thank all those who volunteered and gave the gift of life.

ship and interviews was very informative for the students who see themselves as BANKERS OF TOMORROW. Students together with their teachers returned to their school crediting a lot of enriching memories to their knowledge bank, and depositing in return their spotless gratitude to the bank management and a lot more adorable impressions about their school.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

TV PROGRAMS

00:10 01:40 02:35 03:20 04:15 04:45 05:15 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:25 09:20 10:10 11:00 11:30 12:05 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:10 15:45 16:40 17:30 18:15 19:05 20:00

Wallander Silent Witness Orphan Black New Tricks Doctors Eastenders Stella Doctors Doctors Eastenders Casualty New Tricks Doctor Who Stella Doctors Eastenders New Tricks Doctor Who Stella Doctors Eastenders New Tricks Doctor Who Stella Casualty New Tricks The Kettering Incident

00:00 John Oliverʼs New York Stand Up Show 00:50 Another Period 01:15 Tosh.0 01:40 The Daily Show With Trevor Noah 02:05 Owen Benjamin: High Five Til It Hurts 03:00 Workaholics 03:25 Catch A Contractor 03:50 Ridiculousness 04:15 Key And Peele 04:40 Ridiculousness 05:05 Ridiculousness 05:30 Impractical Jokers 05:55 Impractical Jokers 06:20 Tosh.0 06:50 Tosh.0 07:15 Tattoo Disasters 07:40 Tattoo Disasters 08:05 Ridiculousness 08:30 Ridiculousness 08:55 Impractical Jokers 09:20 Impractical Jokers 09:45 Workaholics 10:10 Workaholics 10:35 Ridiculousness 11:00 Catch A Contractor 11:25 Tattoo Disasters 11:50 Tattoo Disasters 12:15 Nathan For You 12:40 Nathan For You 13:05 Impractical Jokers 13:30 Impractical Jokers 13:55 Ridiculousness 14:20 Ridiculousness 14:45 Tattoo Disasters 15:10 Tattoo Disasters 15:35 Tosh.0 16:00 Tosh.0 16:30 Workaholics 16:55 Workaholics 17:25 Workaholics 17:50 Hungry Investors 18:39 Ridiculousness 19:03 Ridiculousness

23:50 Girl Meets World 00:15 Dog With A Blog 00:40 Best Friends Whenever 01:05 Liv And Maddie 01:30 Jessie 01:55 Violetta 02:45 Backstage 03:10 H2O: Just Add Water 04:00 Binny And The Ghost 04:25 Sabrina Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 04:50 Sabrina Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 05:10 Hank Zipzer 05:35 Binny And The Ghost

09:10 Henry Hugglemonster 09:20 Calimero 09:35 Zou 09:45 Loopdidoo 10:00 Art Attack 10:25 Henry Hugglemonster 10:35 Calimero 10:50 Zou 11:00 Loopdidoo 11:15 Art Attack 11:35 Henry Hugglemonster 11:50 Calimero 12:00 Zou 12:20 Loopdidoo 12:35 Art Attack 13:00 The Hive 13:10 Zou 13:25 Loopdidoo 13:40 Gummi Bears 14:05 Sofia The First 14:30 Goldie & Bear 14:40 PJ Masks 14:55 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 15:10 Doc McStuffins 15:20 Miles From Tomorrow 15:35 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 15:45 Goldie & Bear 16:00 Sofia The First 16:25 The Lion Guard 16:55 Jake And The Never Land Pirates 17:20 Minnieʼs Bow-Toons 17:25 Sheriff Callieʼs Wild West 17:50 The Hive 18:00 Doc McStuffins 18:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:00 The Lion Guard 19:30 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 19:45 Aladdin 20:15 Sheriff Callieʼs Wild West 20:45 Doc McStuffins 21:15 Minnieʼs Bow-Toons 21:20 The Adventures Of The Disney Fairies 21:50 Miles From Tomorrow 22:15 Sofia The First

09:40 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30

Fast Nʼ Loud Garage Gold How Stuffʼs Made How Do They Do It? Deadliest Catch Misfit Garage Fast Nʼ Loud Gold Divers

23:25 K.C. Undercover 23:50 Annedroids 00:15 Gamerʼs Guide To Pretty Much Everything 00:40 K.C. Undercover 01:05 Counterfeit Cat 01:10 Gravity Falls 01:35 Counterfeit Cat 02:00 Lab Rats 02:25 Supa Strikas 02:55 K.C. Undercover 03:20 Gamerʼs Guide To Pretty Much Everything 03:45 Guardians Of The Galaxy 04:10 Marvel Avengers: Ultron Revolution 04:40 Disney Mickey Mouse 05:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:00 Thir13en Ghosts 01:45 Mine Games 03:30 The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies 06:00 Independence Day 08:30 Grosse Pointe Blank 10:30 Jesse Stone: Lost In Paradise 12:15 Enemies Closer 14:00 Independence Day 16:30 Grosse Pointe Blank 18:30 Jesse Stone: Lost In Paradise 20:15 Blackhat 22:30 Jenniferʼs Body

00:00 Rob & Chyna 00:55 Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry 01:50 E! News 02:50 Botched 05:30 Celebrity Style Story 06:00 WAGs 06:55 E! News 07:25 WAGs 08:20 WAGs 09:15 WAGs 10:10 E! News 10:40 Fashion Bloggers 11:10 WAGs 15:00 E! News 15:30 Fashion Bloggers 16:00 WAGs 17:00 WAGs 18:00 WAGs 19:00 WAGs 20:00 WAGs 21:00 WAGs 22:00 Botched 23:00 E! News 23:15 WAGs

00:10 Whoʼs Doing The Dishes?

01:00 Emmerdale 01:30 Emmerdale 02:00 Coronation Street 02:30 The Chase 03:25 Paul Oʼgradyʼs Animal Orphans 04:20 The Jonathan Ross Show 05:15 Murdoch Mysteries 06:10 Whoʼs Doing The Dishes?

07:05 The Chase 08:00 Paul Oʼgradyʼs Animal Orphans 09:00 The Jonathan Ross Show 10:00 Murdoch Mysteries 10:55 Whoʼs Doing The Dishes?

11:50 The Chase 12:45 Emmerdale 13:15 Coronation Street 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Whoʼs Doing The Dishes?

15:10 The Chase 16:00 Paul Oʼgradyʼs Animal Orphans 16:55 Tonight At The London Palladium 17:50 Murdoch Mysteries

MINE GAMES ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

09:50 10:45 11:40 12:35 13:30 14:25 15:20 16:15 16:40 17:10

Monster Fish Worldʼs Toughest Fixes Mammoth: Back From Dead Nick Bakerʼs Eco Malaysia Mega Factories 4 Babies A Second Worldʼs Toughest Fixes Innovation Nation Innovation Nation Machine Impossible

11:24 Henry Danger 11:48 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn 12:12 SpongeBob SquarePants 13:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 13:48 Winx Club 14:12 Harvey Beaks 14:36 Breadwinners 15:00 Get Blake 15:24 Rabbids Invasion 15:48 Henry Danger 16:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn 16:36 The Haunted Hathaways 17:00 Winx Club 17:24 SpongeBob SquarePants 17:48 SpongeBob SquarePants 18:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 18:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 19:00 Breadwinners 19:24 The Loud House 19:48 Harvey Beaks 20:12 Rabbids Invasion 20:36 Henry Danger 21:00 Game Shakers 21:24 SpongeBob SquarePants 21:48 SpongeBob SquarePants 22:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 22:36 The Loud House 23:00 Sanjay And Craig 23:24 Harvey Beaks 23:48 Breadwinners 00:12 Henry Danger 00:36 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn 01:00 100 Things To Do Before High School 01:24 Game Shakers 01:48 SpongeBob SquarePants 02:12 SpongeBob SquarePants 02:36 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 03:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 03:24 Breadwinners 03:48 Breadwinners 04:12 Sanjay And Craig 04:36 Sanjay And Craig 05:00 SpongeBob SquarePants 05:24 SpongeBob SquarePants 05:48 Henry Danger

22:41 Shimmer And Shine 23:05 Dora And Friends 23:27 Zack & Quack 23:38 Blaze And The Monster Machines 00:00 Paw Patrol 00:13 Paw Patrol 00:36 Dora The Explorer 01:00 Wanda And The Alien 01:11 Zack & Quack 01:22 Dora And Friends: Into The City!

01:46 Blaze And The Monster Machines 02:10 Paw Patrol 02:35 Shimmer And Shine 02:58 Dora The Explorer 03:21 Paw Patrol 03:45 Little Charmers 03:57 Bubble Guppies 04:20 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies 04:40 Zack & Quack 04:52 Team Umizoomi 05:15 Louie 05:22 Louie 05:30 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies 05:53 Olive The Ostrich 05:58 Olive The Ostrich

01:00 03:00 Place 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00

The Wee Man We Gotta Get Out Of This Memories Donʼt Wake Mommy Shanghai Calling Memories Stranded 6 Ways To Sundown Shanghai Calling Dying Of The Light War Book

00:00 Cooper Barrettʼs Guide To Surviving 00:30 The Simpsons 01:00 The Simpsons 01:30 Web Therapy 02:00 Silicon Valley 02:30 Man Seeking Woman 03:00 Dr. Ken 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:00 Living With Fran 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 05:30 George Lopez 06:00 The Bernie Mac Show 06:30 Suburgatory 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 08:00 Living With Fran 08:30 George Lopez 09:00 Dr. Ken 09:30 Angie Tribeca 10:00 Fresh Off The Boat 10:30 Suburgatory 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 12:00 The Bernie Mac Show 12:30 Living With Fran 13:00 George Lopez 13:30 Suburgatory 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 Angie Tribeca 15:00 Fresh Off The Boat 15:30 The Simpsons 16:00 The Simpsons 16:30 The Bernie Mac Show 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 18:00 Dr. Ken 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Wrecked 19:30 Fresh Off The Boat 20:00 Difficult People 20:30 Cooper Barrettʼs Guide To Surviving 21:00 Two And A Half Men 21:30 Two And A Half Men 22:00 Baskets 22:30 The Big C 23:00 Man Seeking Woman 23:30 Difficult People

01:00 Cop Car 03:00 The Two Faces Of January 05:00 The Theory Of Everything 07:15 5 Flights Up 09:00 The Two Faces Of January 11:00 Tomorrowland 13:15 The Song 15:15 A Birderʼs Guide To Everything 17:00 Accidental Love 18:45 Concussion 21:00 Cooties 23:00 Knock Knock

00:00 Growing Up And Other Lies 02:00 Wild Hogs 04:00 Jack 06:00 My Father The Hero 08:00 Just Married 10:00 Jack 12:00 Wild Hogs 14:00 Sister Act 16:00 Just Married 18:00 Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!

20:00 St. Vincent 22:00 The Bad News Bears (2005)

01:00 Eden 03:00 Zulu 05:00 Happiness

06:30 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:30

Fearless Walking On Sunshine Happiness One Fine Day Middle Of Nowhere Walking On Sunshine Belles Familles The Fisher King Godʼs Pocket

01:00 Cher Ami 02:45 Blackie And Kanuto 04:30 Daddy Iʼm A Zombie 06:00 Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock And Roll Mystery 07:45 Marco Macaco 09:30 Scooby-Doo! And The Beach Beastie 10:30 Goat Story 2 12:15 Blackie And Kanuto 14:00 Dixie And The Zombie Rebellion 16:00 Bamse And The City Of Thieves 17:30 Scooby-Doo! And The Beach Beastie 18:30 Marco Macaco 20:15 Moomins And The Comet Chase 22:00 Dixie And The Zombie Rebellion 23:30 Bamse And The City Of Thieves

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

It Takes Two Marvelʼs Planet Hulk Atlantis: The Lost Empire Bolt Race To Witch Mountain Dr. Seussʼ The Lorax Toy Story G-Force Muppets Most Wanted Dunston Checks In My Favorite Martian G-Force

09:00 09:48 10:36 11:00 11:24 12:12 12:36 13:00 13:26 14:14 15:02 15:50 16:14 16:38 17:02 17:26

Strip The City Mythbusters Sci-Fi Science Magic Of Science Strip The Cosmos How Do They Do It? Food Factory How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Strip The Cosmos Strip The City How Do They Do It? Food Factory Sci-Fi Science Magic Of Science Mythbusters

00:20 Bride By Design 00:45 Bride By Design 01:10 Secret Eskimo Escape 02:00 My Big Fat Fabulous Life 02:25 Say Yes To The Dress 02:50 Love, Lust Or Run 03:15 Cake Boss 03:35 Cake Boss 04:00 Cake Boss 04:20 Little People, Big World 04:45 Little People, Big World 05:10 Toddlers & Tiaras 06:00 My 600lb Life 06:50 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 07:40 My Big Fat Fabulous Life 08:30 Little People, Big World 08:55 Little People, Big World 09:20 Kate Plus 8 10:10 Love, Lust Or Run 10:35 Cake Boss 11:00 My Big Fat Fabulous Life 11:25 Say Yes To The Dress 11:50 My 600lb Life 12:40 Cake Boss 13:05 Cake Boss 13:30 Say Yes To The Dress 13:55 Say Yes To The Dress 14:20 Say Yes To The Dress: The Big Day 15:10 Toddlers & Tiaras 16:00 Little People, Big World 16:25 Little People, Big World

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING ON OSN MOVIES HD 19:27 19:50 20:13 21:00

Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Catch A Contractor The Daily Show - Global

09:15 The Hive 09:20 Sabrina Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 09:45 Sabrina Secrets Of A Teenage Witch 10:10 Hank Zipzer 10:35 Binny And The Ghost 11:00 Violetta 11:45 The Hive 11:50 Mouk 12:00 Jessie 12:25 Jessie 12:50 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir 13:15 Tsum Tsum Shorts 13:20 Liv And Maddie 13:45 Bunkʼd 14:10 Austin & Ally 14:35 Shake It Up 15:00 A.N.T. Farm 15:25 A.N.T. Farm 15:50 Thatʼs So Raven 16:15 Thatʼs So Raven 16:40 Good Luck Charlie 17:05 Good Luck Charlie 17:30 Jessie 17:55 Disney Mickey Mouse 18:00 The 7D 18:15 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir 18:40 Hank Zipzer 19:05 Star Darlings 19:10 Austin & Ally 19:35 Austin & Ally 20:00 Liv And Maddie 20:25 Liv And Maddie 20:50 Dog With A Blog 21:15 Jessie 21:40 Bunkʼd 22:05 Star Darlings 22:10 Gravity Falls 22:35 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir 23:00 Backstage 23:25 Alex & Co.

15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:25 USA 18:15 19:05 19:30 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40 00:30 00:55 01:20 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:50 04:40

Garage Gold How Stuffʼs Made How Do They Do It? Boy To Man The Island With Bear Grylls: Driving Wild How Stuffʼs Made Storage Hunters Garage Gold Gold Divers Alaska: The Last Frontier Deadliest Catch Fast Nʼ Loud Misfit Garage How Stuffʼs Made How Do They Do It? Gold Divers Storage Hunters Garage Gold You Have Been Warned Worldʼs Top 5 Magic Of Science

12:00 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:35 19:00 19:30 19:55 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55

Boyster Super Matrak Super Matrak Star vs The Forces Of Evil K.C. Undercover Supa Strikas Danger Mouse Counterfeit Cat Counterfeit Cat Gravity Falls Lab Rats Rocket Monkeys Ultimate Spider-Man Boyster Boyster Pair Of Kings Pair Of Kings Lab Rats Lab Rats Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Kickinʼ It Kickinʼ It Disney Mickey Mouse Supa Strikas Supa Strikas Lab Rats Danger Mouse Kirby Buckets

09:30 Testing The Menu With Nic Watt 09:55 Maximum Foodie 10:20 Poh & Co 10:45 Poh & Co 11:10 Andy And Ben Eat The World 11:35 Access 360 World Heritage 12:25 Glamour Puds 12:50 Wineroads 13:15 Gokʼs Chinese Takeaway 14:05 Eat Street 14:30 Charlie Luxtonʼs Homes By The Med 15:20 Testing The Menu With Nic Watt 15:45 Maximum Foodie 16:10 Poh & Co 16:35 Poh & Co 17:00 Andy And Ben Eat The World 17:25 Access 360 World Heritage 18:15 Glamour Puds 18:40 David Roccoʼs Dolce India 19:05 Gokʼs Chinese Takeaway 20:00 Eat Street 20:30 Charlie Luxtonʼs Homes By The Med 21:25 Testing The Menu With Nic Watt 21:50 Maximum Foodie 22:20 Poh & Co 22:45 Poh & Co 23:15 Andy And Ben Eat The World 23:40 Access 360 World Heritage 00:35 Glamour Puds 01:05 Maximum Foodie 01:30 Testing The Menu With Nic Watt 02:00 Maximum Foodie 02:25 Poh & Co 02:50 Poh & Co 03:15 Andy And Ben Eat The World 03:40 Access 360 World Heritage 04:30 Glamour Puds 04:55 David Roccoʼs Dolce India 05:20 Gokʼs Chinese Takeaway

18:05 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:40 04:30 05:20

Worldʼs Most Extreme 4 Babies A Second Mega Factories Malaysia From Below Innovation Nation Innovation Nation Machine Impossible Worldʼs Most Extreme Malaysia From Below Innovation Nation Innovation Nation Machine Impossible Worldʼs Most Extreme Malaysia From Below Mammoth: Back From Dead

09:45 Animals Gone Wild 10:40 Wild Caribbeanʼs Deadly Underworld 11:35 Crocodile King 12:30 Animal Fight Club 13:25 Animals Gone Wild 14:20 Wild Caribbeanʼs Deadly Underworld 15:15 Blood Rivals: Lion vs.

Buffalo 16:10 Worldʼs Weirdest 17:05 Fur Seals: Battle For Survival 18:00 Great White Code Red 18:55 Ultimate Predator 19:50 Animal Fight Club 20:45 Animals Gone Wild 21:40 That Shouldnʼt Fly 22:35 Lion Gangland 23:30 Worldʼs Weirdest 00:25 Worldʼs Weirdest Extreme Body Parts 01:20 Animals Gone Wild 02:10 That Shouldnʼt Fly

09:00 Turtles 09:24 Turtles 09:48 10:12 10:36 11:00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Teenage Mutant Ninja Henry Danger Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn The Haunted Hathaways Max & Shred

09:01 Paw Patrol 09:24 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom 09:35 Dora The Explorer 09:59 Max & Ruby 10:07 Bubble Guppies 10:29 Little Charmers 10:41 Shimmer And Shine 11:05 Dora And Friends 11:27 Zack & Quack 11:38 Blaze And The Monster Machines 12:00 Paw Patrol 12:13 Paw Patrol 12:36 Dora The Explorer 13:00 Wanda And The Alien 13:11 Zack & Quack 13:22 Dora And Friends: Into The City!

13:46 Blaze And The Monster Machines 14:10 Paw Patrol 14:35 Shimmer And Shine 14:58 Dora The Explorer 15:21 Paw Patrol 15:45 Little Charmers 15:57 Bubble Guppies 16:20 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies 16:40 Zack & Quack 16:52 Team Umizoomi 17:15 Louie 17:22 Louie 17:30 Fresh Beat Band Of Spies 17:53 Olive The Ostrich 17:58 Olive The Ostrich 18:03 Max & Ruby 18:26 Wanda And The Alien 18:37 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom 18:48 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom 19:00 Blaze And The Monster Machines 19:22 Blaze And The Monster Machines 19:45 Zack & Quack 19:55 Zack & Quack 20:05 Team Umizoomi 20:28 Louie 20:35 Louie 20:40 Olive The Ostrich 20:44 Olive The Ostrich 20:49 Paw Patrol 21:01 Paw Patrol 21:24 Ben & Hollyʼs Little Kingdom 21:35 Dora The Explorer 21:59 Max & Ruby 22:07 Bubble Guppies 22:29 Little Charmers

GROWING UP AND OTHER LIES ON OSN MOVIES HD COMEDY

Classifieds TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4 , 2016

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (29/09/2016 TO 05/10/2016) SHARQIA-1 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DEEPWATER HORIZON MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DEEPWATER HORIZON

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

11:30 AM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-3 DEEPWATER HORIZON STORKS STORKS STORKS STORKS DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON

1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-1 DEEPWATER HORIZON STORKS DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON LAF WA DAWARAN DEEPWATER HORIZON MUHALAB-2 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DEEPWATER HORIZON

12:15 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-3 LAF WA DAWARAN STORKS -3D LAF WA DAWARAN STORKS -3D LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-1 DEEPWATER HORIZON THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN STORKS STORKS THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

11:30 AM 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-2 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D STORKS -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DEEPWATER HORIZON

12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-3 LAF WA DAWARAN

12:00 PM

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-4 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-5 DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-1 LAF WA DAWARAN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DEEPWATER HORIZON

11:30 AM 1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-2 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 DEEPWATER HORIZON STORKS STORKS STORKS DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON

12:00 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN DEEPWATER HORIZON THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2 DEEPWATER HORIZON-2D- 4DX 12:30 PM MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D- 4DX 2:45 PM MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D- 4DX 5:15 PM MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D- 4DX 8:00 PM DEEPWATER HORIZON-2D- 4DX 10:45 PM DEEPWATER HORIZON-2D- 4DX 1:00 AM AVENUES-3 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

LAF WA DAWARAN

12:05 AM

360º- 1 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D

12:15 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:30 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 2 SULLY SULLY SULLY SULLY MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN SULLY

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

360º- 3 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

12:00 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 8:15 PM 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.1 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

11:45 AM 2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.2 DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON DEEPWATER HORIZON

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN -3D MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

11:30 AM 2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.4 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN STORKS FRI STORKS STORKS STORKS LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-1 LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN LAF WA DAWARAN

12:15 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2 DEEPWATER HORIZON STORKS

11:45 AM 2:00 PM

JOB WANTED

CHANGE OF NAME I, Shaik Saleem S/o Shaik Nazeer Basha, holder of Indian Passport No: 6270158 and Civil ID No: 275051013605 has changed my name to Patan Ahmmad Basha. Hereinafter in all my dealings and documents I will be known by name of Patan Ahmmad Basha.

(C 5218)

Indonesian oil field expert with 22 years experience seeks a job in Kuwait (currently in Indonesia) Email: mmsembodo@yahoo.com / WhatsApp (62811192337)

112

1:00 PM 1:45 PM

PRAYER TIMINGS Fajr:

04:24

Shorook

05:42

Duhr:

11:37

Asr:

14:59

Maghrib:

17:31

Isha:

18:47

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION Airlines ETD MSC THY JZR JZR FDB DLH QTR JZR MSC PGT ETH RJA AXB THY KKK KAC GFA UAE ETD OMA MSR FDB QTR PGT KAC RBG AVV FEG THY DHX THY PAL KAC BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC SVA FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE THY KAC KAC ETD ABY SYR QTR FDB IRA UAE GFA MEA JZR RBG JZR AVV FDB MSC SAW UAE FEG MSR KAC THY IRC

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 4/10/2016 Flt Route 9919 Bahrain 415 Sohag 772 Istanbul 239 Amman 267 Beirut 069 Dubai 635 Doha 1086 Doha 539 Cairo 403 Asyut 858 Istanbul 620 Addis Ababa 642 Amman 395 Kozhikode 1464 Istanbul 6506 Istanbul 418 Manila 211 Bahrain 853 Dubai 305 Abu Dhabi 643 Muscat 612 Cairo 067 Dubai 1076 Doha 4860 Istanbul 544 Cairo 551 Alexandria 653 Alexandria 933 Sohag 1414 TZX 170 Bahrain 770 Istanbul 668 Manila/Dubai 412 Manila/Bangkok 157 London 5061 Dubai 382 Delhi 346 Ahmedabad 206 Islamabad 302 Mumbai 512 Riyadh 053 Dubai 354 BLR 332 Trivandrum 352 Kochi 362 Colombo 855 Dubai 6512 Istanbul 784 Jeddah 284 Dhaka 301 Abu Dhabi 125 Sharjah 341 Damascus 1070 Doha 055 Dubai 675 Lar 873 Dubai 213 Bahrain 404 Beirut 561 Sohag 553 Alexandria 165 Dubai 651 Alexandria 075 Dubai 401 Alexandria 701 Damascus 871 Dubai 955 Asyut 610 Cairo 620 Doha 766 Istanbul 6507 Shiraz

Time 00:10 00:10 00:10 00:20 00:30 00:55 01:00 01:15 01:20 01:30 01:40 01:45 01:45 01:50 01:50 02:00 02:15 02:15 02:25 03:05 03:05 03:15 03:15 03:25 03:30 03:40 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:05 05:10 05:15 06:25 06:30 06:40 07:15 07:30 07:35 07:40 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:00 08:15 08:20 08:20 08:25 08:40 08:50 09:00 09:00 09:05 09:15 09:20 09:40 09:40 10:40 10:40 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:50 12:05 12:25 12:30 12:35 12:45 12:55 13:00 13:10 13:10 13:35

KAC AXB KAC QTR MSR KAC GFA FDB SVA KAC KNE OMA ETD RJD ABY UAE FDB NIA RJA JZR QTR KAC KAC SVA GFA JZR QTR MSR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE GFA FDB KAC ABY JAI KAC FDB DLH MEA OMA JZR MSR QTR FDB ETD UAE ALK KLM THY CLX KAC QTR GFA NIA ETD JZR AIC PIA KAC JZR JAI MSC JZR MSR FDB JAD

514 393 672 1078 575 178 221 057 500 788 529 645 303 135 127 857 051 251 640 325 1072 680 562 510 215 777 1080 620 774 786 502 742 618 542 104 166 875 217 063 614 123 572 674 059 634 402 647 189 618 1088 5053 307 859 229 415 764 784 172 1082 219 151 309 125 987 239 782 185 574 403 239 614 071 301

Tehran Kozhikode Dubai Doha Sharm el-Sheikh Vienna Bahrain Dubai Jeddah Jeddah Jeddah Muscat Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Sharjah Dubai Dubai Alexandria Amman Al Najaf Doha Muscat Amman Riyadh Bahrain Jeddah Doha Cairo Riyadh Jeddah Beirut Dammam Doha Cairo London Paris/Rome Dubai Bahrain Dubai Bahrain Sharjah Mumbai Dubai Dubai Frankfurt Beirut Muscat Dubai Alexandria Doha Dubai Abu Dhabi Dubai Colombo Amsterdam Istanbul Luxembourg Frankfurt Doha Bahrain Cairo Abu Dhabi Bahrain Chennai/Hyderabad Sialkot Jeddah Dubai Mumbai Asyut Amman Cairo Dubai Amman

13:45 13:55 14:05 14:05 14:15 14:15 14:20 14:20 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:00 16:15 16:15 16:55 16:55 17:15 17:30 17:50 17:55 18:30 18:35 18:35 18:35 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:05 19:05 19:10 19:10 19:15 19:35 19:45 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:10 22:15 22:25 22:35 22:50 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:35 23:45

Airlines AIC BBC JAI MSR FDB KLM MSC THY DLH ETD MSC PGT ETH THY AXB KKK KAC KAC UAE OMA FDB ETD MSR PGT QTR RBG JZR AVV FEG THY RJA QTR THY GFA FDB JZR FDB BAW FDB KAC SVA KAC KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE KAC ETD THY SYR QTR IRA FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA MEA KAC UAE RBG JZR JZR KAC AVV FDB MSC SAW FEG MSR

Departure Flights on Tuesday 4/10/2016 Flt Route 976 Goa/Chennai 144 Chittagong/Dhaka 573 Mumbai 615 Cairo 072 Dubai 411 Amsterdam 416 Sohag 773 Istanbul 635 Frankfurt 920 Abu Dhabi 404 Asyut 859 Istanbul 621 Addis Ababa 765 Istanbul 396 Kozhikode 6505 Istanbul 177 Vienna 783 Jeddah 854 Dubai 644 Muscat 068 Dubai 306 Abu Dhabi 613 Cairo 861 Istanbul 1077 Doha 552 Alexandria 560 Sohag 654 Sohag 956 Asyut 1465 Istanbul 643 Amman 1087 Doha 771 Istanbul 212 Bahrain 070 Dubai 164 Dubai 5062 Dubai 156 London 054 Dubai 171 Frankfurt 513 Riyadh 513 Tehran 671 Dubai 619 Doha 787 Jeddah 126 Sharjah 856 Dubai 101 London/New York 302 Abu Dhabi 6376 NBO/Istanbul 342 Damascus 1071 Doha 674 Lar 056 Dubai 501 Beirut 561 Amman 165 Rome/Paris 679 Muscat 214 Bahrain 405 Beirut 541 Cairo 874 Dubai 554 Alexandria 776 Jeddah 324 Al Najaf 785 Jeddah 652 Asyut 076 Dubai 402 Alexandria 702 Damascus 934 Sohag 611 Cairo

Time 00:05 00:10 00:10 00:30 00:30 00:55 01:05 01:40 02:00 02:10 02:30 02:40 02:45 02:45 02:50 02:55 02:55 03:30 03:45 04:05 04:05 04:10 04:15 04:30 04:35 04:45 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:00 06:25 06:30 06:45 06:50 07:05 07:15 07:55 08:25 08:30 08:40 08:50 09:15 09:30 09:30 09:30 09:45 09:50 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:15 10:35 10:40 10:40 11:00 11:20 11:25 11:25 11:35 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:10 12:15 12:50 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:30 13:35 13:55 14:00

THY UAE IRC PAL AXB MSR KAC FDB GFA KAC QTR KAC KAC SVA JZR KNE KAC OMA ABY ETD RJD NIA RJA FDB JZR QTR KAC UAE JZR SVA JZR GFA JZR QTR JZR MSR KAC GFA FDB KAC ABY FDB UAE JAI KAC DLH KAC KAC KAC KAC MEA OMA MSR QTR DHX FDB ETD ALK KAC UAE KLM THY KAC KAC KAC GFA ETD NIA KAC QTR KAC CLX PIA KAC

767 872 6508 669 394 576 773 058 222 673 1079 617 741 501 188 530 613 646 128 304 136 252 641 052 266 1073 781 858 238 511 184 216 538 1081 124 621 285 218 064 361 124 060 876 571 331 634 353 343 351 543 403 648 607 1089 171 5054 308 230 381 860 415 1403 301 345 205 220 310 152 155 1083 411 713 240 203

Istanbul Dubai Shiraz Dubai/Manila Kozhikode Sharm el-Sheikh Riyadh Dubai Bahrain Dubai Doha Doha Dammam Jeddah Dubai Jeddah Bahrain Muscat Sharjah Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Alexandria Amman Dubai Beirut Doha Jeddah Dubai Amman Riyadh Dubai Bahrain Cairo Doha Bahrain Cairo Dhaka Bahrain Dubai Colombo Sharjah Dubai Dubai Mumbai Trivandrum Doha BLR Chennai Kochi Cairo Beirut Muscat Luxor Doha Bahrain Dubai Abu Dhabi Colombo Delhi Dubai Dammam/Amsterdam AYT Mumbai Ahmedabad Islamabad Bahrain Abu Dhabi Cairo Istanbul Doha Bangkok/Manila Hong Kong Sialkot Lahore

14:10 14:15 14:20 14:45 14:45 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:05 15:05 15:15 15:15 15:30 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:10 16:15 16:20 16:30 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:10 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 19:05 19:20 19:30 19:40 19:50 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:30 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:15 21:15 21:30 21:45 21:50 21:55 21:55 22:20 22:25 22:25 22:25 22:25 22:30 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:25 23:35 23:35 23:40

34

stars CROSSWORD 1389

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Career decisions that point to real success may be just where you are searching. Although you are happy with your position, there are openings all around you. Look at your friends or relatives that have no jobs and consider informing them of some new opportunities, especially if you are not interested for yourself. You are able to show your worth, strength and stamina to any professional position. You may benefit from an older person or one in authority today. Take time to see the long-term results of his or her comments and transfer your attention to new possibilities. Shopping this afternoon may be fun for a change. Do keep a list handy so you will keep a focus. This is an ideal time to strengthen your home life.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Paying attention to the little things today when it comes to satisfying a client, patient or customer will be an important part of your day. If you are working for a company that has a production line, pay close attention to what a customer tells you about the working, or not working, product. Take nothing for granted. Do not jump to conclusions. This is a real time to pay particular attention and know that what you do and how you take care of the little details defines you and your company to the customer as well as the competitor. Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guide you and proves successful. Good luck and positive actions are in the forecast today. This is one of your best overall days. This is also a good day for love.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands.

4. Have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill.

11. Slightly open.

15. A depression in an otherwise level surface.

16. Remove body hair.

17. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

18. Used of a single unit or thing.

19. Be a sign or indication of.

21. The act of someone who picks up or takes something.

23. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

24. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

25. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

26. Bony flesh of herring-like fish usually caught during their migration to fresh water for spawning.

28. Before noon.

31. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles.

33. A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex.

37. Wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community.

42. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

43. 1/10 gram.

45. A light touch or stroke.

49. (informal) Of the highest quality.

50. Lacking in reality or substance or genuineness.

52. A Russian river.

54. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.

55. West Indian evergreen with medium to long leaves.

58. The ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle.

59. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle.

60. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

63. United States feminist who founded a national organization for women (born in 1921).

68. Apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins).

71. A boy or man.

72. A unit of current equal to 10 amperes.

75. A cgs unit of work or energy.

76. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

77. Caused to show discomposure.

78. The month following February and preceding April.

79. Any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species.

80. Relating to or like or divided into areolae.

81. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

DOWN 1. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

2. (Sumerian and Babylonian) A solar deity.

3. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

4. A tricycle (usually propelled by ped-

alling).

5. Affording unobstructed entrance and exit.

6. Uttered in a monotonous cadence or rhythm as in chanting.

7. Slang for `drunk'.

8. Take in solid food.

9. (literary) Spirited horse for state or war.

10. A toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium.

11. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

12. An island in Indonesia south of Borneo.

13. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

14. Having been read.

20. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

22. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

27. A public promotion of some product or service.

29. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

30. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

32. All the plant life in a particular region.

34. Tropical American tree producing cacao beans.

35. As much as a teacup will hold.

36. Any of several Orthodox Jewish sects who reject modern secular culture and many of whom do not recognize the spiritual authority of the modern state of Israel.

38. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in the practice of Yoga).

39. In a manner differing from the usual or expected.

40. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

41. Broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects.

44. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

46. Deep-bodied percoid fishes of the open seas.

47. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

48. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

51. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.

53. Remove with or as if with a ladle.

56. (biology) Of unlike parts or organs.

57. Pull back or move away or backward.

61. A mark used by an author or editor to indicate where something is to be inserted into a text.

62. Swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue.

64. A feeling of intense anger.

65. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

66. Little known Kamarupan languages.

67. German industrialist who was the first in Germany to use an assembly line in manufacturing automobiles (1871-1948).

69. A theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

70. A city in northern India.

73. A unit of conductance equal to the reciprocal of an ohm.

74. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Requesting a loan or obtaining any other type of acquisition is a positive.

You have good practical job-related thoughts and ideas. Use that ability you have to communicate with superiors or describe what you see. You will find that you can really use your mind to think things through and make clear choices. The future of business in your country depends upon the children that are now being educated. Ask yourself if you can volunteer to help with junior achievement or some other junior business organization in order to help educate and instruct in the art of whatever professional expertise is yours; take a co-worker friend. Don’t be afraid to project your image-make those dreams real. Ideas of group cooperation could further your career.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Although you shy away from challenges, you cannot escape facing a few of them. Challenges provide you with choices to either move in a new direction or work to overcome the challenge. Discover the root of a matter and then deal with that information. Approaching a situation from different angles or different viewpoints may be helpful. Moving through this interesting day you may find that in the afternoon a confused person has a lot to say to a group of people. Take a nibble on your bottom lip and do not comment; listen very closely for key words that help you see from the viewpoint of the person trying to communicate. Positive results happen when you do not push to reverse someone’s thinking. It is good to know the appropriate time to intercede.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You often take the most interesting path to experience your life, skirting the crowd and the commonplace, heading for parts unknown. Your approach to any problem is often original and you could invent things or discover new places or develop new ways of doing things. This is the best time you will have to make progress, push forward and rise to fame. It will be hard for you to do wrong, for all the cycles are working in your favor. This is also a time when you may marry or take on a new role in the community or with other people. You will be in demand and recognition will be forthcoming. Your desires are strong and you will want to enjoy yourself. Romance is possible. There is a basic drive to appreciate and taste life-stop worrying.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Circumstances may appear to bring very sensitive issues to your attention.

Changes you want to make, or that someone else wants to make, may be challenged; you hold the solution. This is a good time to plan a change and you could rest easy with whatever results two people can achieve. Learn techniques that will relieve stress.

Responsibilities and outside pressures are just a part of life, but knowing when to move forward with a worthwhile project requires patience and a positive attitude. There is the possibility of new visions or sudden insights into your self-image or into your dreams. There are breakthroughs in compassion and communication. The people you know are learning to communicate more openly and you are pleased.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You find that you benefit most from the ability to write down an outline of sorts that indicates the process of a difficult task or conversation that would otherwise become disastrous. This is not something you do every day but it is a technique you may have formed to remedy a maze of problems. You may be very pleased to know that your talents are strong and will travel with you into whatever you want to accomplish in a profession. There could be a new self-help author or some written information that a co-worker wants to tell you about; listen. You will prosper by pursuing your most passionate dreams of how life could be. Don’t be afraid to project your image-make those dreams real.

This is indeed, a grand day.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion.

You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your ability to act and get things done. You are called on to make use of your natural abilities and common sense. Your need to be respected can certainly be achieved at this time. Work, achievement and ambition mean a lot to you. There is an urge to join your friends in some social affair this evening.

However, you may walk a fine line today between good company and disapproval, so be aware. You could find yourself working against the values of another-going against the flow. This evening may be best spent in relaxation with a loved one.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Don’t abandon the ship now. Although your mood is with your family members, a workday has begun and you would do well to climb on board, so to speak. No matter how much you think you may not be helping, you are actually able to make a difference in the professional realm. One day at a time, you can do anything. Pay attention to the shuffle of activity when employees change position within the company for which you work. You will be able to move up the corporate ladder as well. Today you help a person, project or activity move along in a fast and accurate manner. Completion of some difficult task or understanding will be met soon. Don’t be afraid to project your positive image; network. A most positive day follows you home. Smile!

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You are driven and passionate in your pursuit of change and inner growth.

Your attitude in the workplace is usually an appreciative and respectful one.

People like you and enjoy being around you because of your attitude. This job may be the only job you have been around where people actually work and achieve and the atmosphere lends itself to productive, creative, enthusiastic people. You may find, however, that with a strong inner push to be productive you are exhausted upon arriving home. The transition between work and home is important for you to be able to adjust. Be creative for yourself and find enjoyable ways to reach the home front. Try a massage once a week. Or music, a book or short story or old time radio might be fun for listening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You have a natural sense for communicating with others, particularly those younger than yourself. Clear thoughts about the past may also be flowing in today. You will perhaps, find yourself teaching and setting the pace for these young people. Financial savvy and a practical turn of mind are qualities that take on greater importance this afternoon. The right sales technique, completing a project or presenting an idea are all possibilities for your busy day. You have a good voice. This could be in speaking or in singing. If you are not performing, think about attending a performance of a stand-up comedian or going to a karaoke club and trying out your voice sometime this week. Your friends will encourage you, just say the word.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is the day you will have new thoughts and sudden insights. You may get an unexpected boost in the way you think, speak or write. Communications are strong at this time-connections of all kinds, news and so on, are furthered-perhaps at the expense of tradition and established order. If you are a newspaper reporter, hold your head up high above the others as there is something in the air, something that will be your own scoop.

Tear it down and build it up again, reach in and pluck out the offending element-that’s what the new cycle you have entered is like. Power becomes a compelling idea, perhaps even an aphrodisiac-and you have a stronger than usual supply of it now. Use it, do not abuse it-or you might find that it is a two-edged sword!

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

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0034 00265

24575518 24566622

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22436184 24833967

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Myanmar (Burma)

0095

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Khaldiya

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0031

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Netherlands Antilles 00599

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24814507

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001

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24814764

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Actors Samuel L Jackson, left, Ella Purnell, Lauren McCrostie, director Tim Burton, Asa Butterfield, Finlay MacMillan and Eva Green attend “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” red carpet event at Saks 5th Avenue on Monday, Sept 26, 2016, in New York.

In this image released by 20th Century Fox, from left, Lauren McCrostie, Pixie Davies, Cameron King, Thomas and Joseph Odwell and Ella Purnell appear in a scene from, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”. — AP

Wee, weird heroes star in ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home’ F

Review

all has officially just started, but there’s still one more superhero flick sneaking in just before all the summer heat vanishes completely. But if you want muscled torsos and capes, you’ll be sadly disappointed. After a steady stream this year of Batman, Superman, Captain America, X-Men and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it’s time now for a group of kids who float, are invisible, who spark fire, manipulate plants, control bees and give life to inanimate objects.

Not really, X-Men exactly. Call them XTweens.

They’re the unlikely young heroes and heroines of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” the Tim Burton-directed 3D film loosely based on the novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs. Sweet, with

some mind-blowing visual effects, it’s the per fect film for your young disaffected mutant friends. Asa Butterfield (Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”) plays a young adult who stumbles upon a secret refuge for supernaturally gifted youngsters hiding in a time loop in 1943. Our hero befriends the mysterious schoolmarm Miss Peregrine (a delicious Eva Green, channeling a sexy Mary Poppins by way of Helena Bonham Carter) and learns that the children are in danger from evergrowing malevolent forces.

Underwater moments Burton is a natural choice to direct: The material already has that gloomy, Victorian vibe, a stylized dreamlike quality, and a sort of Goth-punk look, which is catnip to the

At festival, a unique take on Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’

W

hen pop legend Prince died, the indie rocker Twin Shadow said his first impulse was to rush to the studio to record a tribute to one of his musical heroes. Instead, Twin Shadow decided the best way to channel the spirit of Prince was live-which he showed through one of the most creatively challenging sets at The Meadows, a new festival in New York. Twin Shadow, the stage name of Dominican-born US producer George Lewis, Jr, told the crowd that for him Prince’s music was “much more fragile and momentary” than a tribute album could represent.

He described his set as an interpretation of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” but instead of performing copycat covers from the classic 1984 album he infused the songs with new life.

For “I Would Die 4 U,” Twin Shadow replaced the lush dance texture with a hard-driving but sparse electro pulsation. “Darling Nikki,” controversial at the time for its eroticism, became all the more sinister as Twin Shadow mixed it with the harsher, kinkier industrial backdrop of Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 hit “Closer.” For “When Doves Cry,” Twin Shadow went even heavier on the guitar opening the hair-metal solo that proved Prince’s versatility and prowess-yet then chose a subdued beat for a hit so rare in pop music for lacking bass. Twin Shadow brought out the most inimitable aspect of Prince-his voice by summoning his own vocal power but remaining careful not to overdo it on songs such as “The Beautiful Ones,” which took on a subtle Caribbean touch.

Prince died on April 21 from an accidental overdose of painkillers.

Artists including Stevie Wonder will mourn him at a memorial concert on October 13 in his native Minnesota. Twin Shadow, who performed another “Purple Rain” concert a week earlier in Los Angeles, made his major label debut last year after winning an indie following with his synthpop fusion.

Kanye out early The undisputed main attraction of the two-day festival, held in the parking lot of the Mets baseball team’s stadium, was rap superstar Kanye West. Fans waiting an hour in a dedicated line just to buy his merchandise. West however abruptly ended his set-which he started half an hour late after his wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room of millions of dollars in jewelry. In his hour-long performance West pursued his theme of self-love from his “The Life of Pablo” album, entering to overhead fireworks and racing illuminated across the stage’s orange fog.

Chance the Rapper, a sometime collaborator of fellow Chicago native West, warmed up the crowd with tracks from his Gospel-driven mixtape “Coloring Book” in a set that went from stripped-down beats and jazzy trumpet to fullblown dance hits that shook the pavement. In an unlikely representation of inner voices, Chance the Rapper brought to the stage puppets including the chatty Carlos the Lion, a blue Muppet-like character who offered words of encouragement between songs. Other performers Sunday included retro English rockers The 1975 and Toronto indie rockers Metric, who delivered an ear-numbing but ultra-high-energy set.

The Meadows was created by promoters of New York’s six-yearold Governors Ball at the tail-end of the festival season amid fast-growing demand for live music. Tapping into the diverse flavor of the surrounding borough of Queens, the festival brought out Bollywoodstyle dancers between sets and sold cuisine from local Latin vendors. But The Meadows had unwelcome hiccups with the shortened set by West-whose set at Governors Ball was rained out-and the cancellation of Saturday’s headliner, R&B sensation The Weeknd, who instead performed on television’s “Saturday Night Live.” — AFP

Rockwell museum gets $1.5m grant from ‘Star Wars’ creator

G

eorge Lucas, the creator of the “Star Wars” movie empire, has donated $1.5 million to the Norman Rockwell Museum. The Stockbridge, Massachusetts-based museum says the grant from the George Lucas.

Family Foundation will enable the museum’s digital learning and engagement division to create multi-media experiences for onsite and online visitors as well as for traveling exhibitions. A traveling exhibition this fall is expected to include a digital gallery-tour accessible from mobile devices.

Norman Rockwell Museum Director Laurie Norton Moffatt called it a “truly transformational grant.” The museum said in a statement dated Sept 29 that Lucas is an avid collector of Rockwell pieces and shares in the museum’s

director of “Edward Scissorhands.” He also famously adores misfits; here, the screen is filled with them. No surprise the job of turning the book into a film was handed to Jane Goldman, who is familiar both with mutants and the 1940s, having been the screenwriter for “X-Men: First Class.” A somewhat ponderous first half leads to a hard-charging second, filled with ingenious fight-scenes, glorious ocean liners and sublime underwater moments.

The film should come with a Harry Potterlike warning for those allergic to new whimsical vocabular y terms like “ymbrines,” “Hollows” and “hollowgasts.”

But go with it. Your head will be in pain soon enough trying to make sense of the increasingly elaborate rules of time-travel

and body shifting. The peculiar children of the film’s title are certainly unique but you can find plenty of other films in the DNA of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” particularly skeleton soldiers from “Jason and the Argonauts,” the X-Men franchise for making freaks lovable, “Groundhog Day” and even the underappreciated Hayden Christensen film “Jumper,” which also has time shifting at its core and the same sort of evil force in Samuel L Jackson.

Stiff performances Hyper-stylized films like Burton’s usually create stiff performances, but Terence Stamp is grounded as a knowing grandfather and Chris O’Dowd is perfectly oafish as a clueless dad. Other cameos are by Judi Dench,

Why top fashion models never smile T

hey wear the world’s most beautiful and expensive clothes yet their faces are the picture of blank boredom. Why do fashion models always look so miserable? “You don’t smile. It is just not done,” said model Ty Ogunkoya as catwalk stars criss-crossed Paris for fashion week. In his decade as a top model, the 26year-old Nigerian-born Londoner has never once permitted himself a grin. “I have modeled for everyone, and no one has ever asked me to smile,” he told AFP. “To be honest, it would feel weird if I did.” “When I walk I think about something sad, like when my cat died,” added Klara, a 18-year-old Slovakian model. “It was run over by a bus.”

But do models really need to be so glum? “Never forget it is the clothes they are looking at and not you,” Victoire Macon Dauxerre, a former model for Celine and Alexander McQueen, said she was told. In her book, “Never Thin Enough”, she tells how she was warned to “never, ever smile”.

‘It’s so not done’ Her modelling agency’s catwalk coach taught her how to get the perfect “haughty killer look” by slightly dropping her chin and lifting her eyes at the same time.

Rising young star Matthieu Villot told AFP the reason for the unspoken ban on smiling was clear. “They want to show the clothes and not our faces. If we smile we focus attention on our faces and not the clothes,” said the 22year-old medical student. Ogunkoya said he had been never told not to smile but “my whole preconception of modeling was moody guys and girls going down the runway... It is so not done they don’t have to say.”

Fashion historian Lydia Kamitsis said it was not always so. The vogue for expressionless models is actually very recent, she said, dating from the rise of the Japanese designers Yohji Yamamoto and Commes des Garcon in the early 1980s. “This was also the period of the supermodels (Cindy Crawford, Imam and Elle Macpherson) who very much had their own personalties, and it was a reaction against this,” she said. “In the 1960s, when collections were first presented as shows, models often smiled, laughed and even danced to music.

“Now they are seen as walking clothes hangers. It’s all about effacing their personality... the clothes are it.”

Anthropologist Leyla Neri, the director of fashion at the New School Parsons Paris, agreed. She dates the first appearance of moody, often scowling models to Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin in the 1960s. It then sped up with the rise feminism and “women’s need to be taken seriously in their professional lives, so you see women striking strong, unsmiling poses in Armani suits. “Men have never smiled on the catwalk because they never have had to smile to please,” Neri insisted.

“In the 1950s models smiled all the time, in fact they were kind of living dolls,” she added. “With emancipation and designers like Yves Saint Laurent you get more a androgynous look, and women became more masculine and powerful.” Contemporary designers have an “even more minimalist vision”, Neri argued.

“They want the most neutral faces and bodies possible to show their work.

“They do not see their models as an ideal of beauty

any longer. That is something that the public has not quite understood.” Every few years, however, iconoclasts like French designer Jean Paul Gaultier send models out smiling. Indian creator Manish Arora also cheers things up by casting his bohemian friends. And several models ended up beaming through British designer Paul Smith’s last Paris menswear show.

“I didn’t tell them to smile,” he told AFP afterwards. “I have nothing against smiling. If the clothes make them happy, go for it,” he said. Villot, who took part in that show but didn’t dare a smile, said models are often afraid to look too happy in case they end up looking ridiculous. “The serious face you can do every time, but if you smile you don’t know how you are going to look.”

Ogunkoya agreed. “It’s easier to just walk and zone out.

Smiling is definitely more of a challenge.” But would he smile if asked? “Why not? You get asked to do the most random things in this job.” — AFP

‘Pregnant’ male politicians lead Japan housework drive

A

trio of male Japanese politicians has gamely strapped on “pregnancy vests” that simulate swollen bellies in a lighthearted campaign for men to pick up the slack in a nation where women do most of the housework. The three governors of southwestern prefectures are taking to the airwaves with the public awareness campaign that loosely translates as: “The governor is a pregnant woman.” Japanese men are not very helpful husbands when it comes to housework: they do just one hour of unpaid work daily compared to five hours for their wives, according to a 2014 study by the 35-nation Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The three-minute spot, which started running last week, shows the hapless lawmakers being outfitted

with seven kilogram (16 pound) vests that mimic the belly of a woman who is about seven months pregnant.

Then it is time to clumsily navigate stairs, carry groceries, or wait for someone to give up their seat on the bus. One politician struggles to put on socks, while another wipes sweat from his brow after hanging a load of laundry, as an upbeat tune plays in the background. “I can see how hard it is to be carrying a child and do house chores,” says 52-year-old Shunji Kono, the governor of Miyazaki prefecture. “I think I have to be much kinder,” the father of three adds in the video. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made drawing more women into the workforce a top priority to fix the economy, heeding calls to make better use of a highly educated but underemployed labor pool. — AFP

File photo shows actress Lindsay Lohan performs a scene from the play, “Speed the Plow,” during a photocall at the Playhouse Theatre in central London.

Lohan says she lost part of finger in boat accident

L

In this April 17, 2015, file photo, filmmaker George Lucas attends the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. — AP belief that the illustrator’s art transcends generations and cultures, communicating universal ideals related to community, family, and human rights. — AP

Allison Janney and Rupert Everett (blink and you miss them). Ella Purnell is lovely and understated as a love interest; she’s buoyant, in more ways than one. So stretch your definition of heroes to include, say, a cute little girl with razor-sharp teeth on the back of her head. “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” has all the making of a super franchise - the call of destiny, the making of heroes and the embrace of kinship.

Plus, of course, coming to terms with your inner freak. “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of fantasy violence and peril.”

Running time: 127 minutes. Three stars out of four. — AP

This video grab taken from footage released by Kyushu-Yamaguchi Work Life Balance Promotion Campaign yesterday shows the governor of Yamaguchi prefecture, Tsugumasa Muraoka, taking a break while cleaning clothes with a pregnancy vest. —AFP

indsay Lohan says she had surgery to reattach part of her finger following a boating accident.

The actress posted a video of her hand with a bandaged ring finger Sunday on Snapchat. She says on the video, “This is the result of me trying to anchor the boat by myself,” adding, “My poor finger!” Lohan explained in a caption on the video that she lost half her finger during the accident. She says the detached piece was found and she had surgery “to fix it.” The 30year-old later poked fun at herself on Instagram , posting a picture with the caption, “One handed selfie.”

Lohan didn’t say where or when the accident happened, but Turkish media report it took place in the southwestern resort town of Bodrum. Private news channel NTV reports that friends recovered the finger and Lohan was rushed to a hospital for surgery.

Lohan was in Istanbul late last month to visit a hospital for Syrian refugees and the home of a refugee family from Aleppo. Her representative didn’t immediately return a request for comment yesterday.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Writing the perfect email

By Hassan Al-Mousawi

the most effective way without confusion, ensuring the most efficient response.

B

efore you are able to determine how to go about your email, you must first highlight all the objectives behind your correspondence.

Example objectives can be: * To start a long lasting fruitful business relationship. * To obtain information and have the other party cooperate in providing it. * To deliver a message or instruction clearly in a positive manner. * To set a meeting where both parties will look forward to attend.

Notice how objectives need to be geared towards a positive outcome. You wouldnít want people to think of you as a burden. Or dread your emails when they appear in their inbox, would you?

By controlling communication we are able to control outcomes. Nothing feels better than the investment in people, resulting in their utmost cooperation and support.

The first impression The first few lines of the email will automatically generate a first impression in the recipientís mind.

More often than not, this impression will last for the duration of your relationship with them.

Here are a few questions you may use to guide your opening lines. * Do I seem enthusiastic? * Is the introduction powerful and memorable? * Would it make the reader interested to carry on

Here are a few points that might make all the difference: * Avoid long paragraphs. It is generally more acceptable, even encouraged to use spacing in emails, simplifying the reading process. * Highlight important or key words. If the point is in regards to a specific project by a particular department. Use bold text or italics to emphasis points.

Using many subtitles and underlined headers can segment the body of the email for easier digestion.

The reader should be able to skim the text and understand the gist of the email at a glance. * Use correct punctuation, a powerful tool in delivering messages as it guides the reader on how they should read and perceive your content.

reading with enthusiasm? * Do I show more care towards the recipient, or rather my personal agenda? * Do I address them with respect and care?

Be clear and precise You may find yourself having to explain complex concepts or a series of events to a recipient. The question is how are you able to deliver the ideas in

Ending the email * Is there a specific action you require from the recipient? * Is the nature of the desired action constrained by time? * Would you like them to be enthusiastic about your proposed meeting?

Always end on a positive note. Whether announcing that you look forward to their response or your meeting with them. Encourage their responsiveness and participation for the best possible cooperation.

Investing in people is the heart of teamwork.

Teamwork includes every person you exchange objectives and correspondence with.

A model prepares for a fashion photo session in Istanbul.

— AFP photos

Burkini debate distant in Turkey as Islamic fashion booms In this picture taken on April 8, 2015, Iranians walk along the Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge in Tehran, Iran.

China, Denmark projects among architecture award winners

A

children’s center in China, a bridge in Iran and a park in Denmark are among the six winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The winners were announced yesterday in the United Arab Emirates city of Al Ain. The awards are handed out once every three years and are meant to celebrate architecture that serves and embraces Muslim culture.

The network is headed by Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims who belong to an offshoot of the Shiite sect. Two projects from Bangladesh also won the award - a community center and a mosque. The sixth winner was a university building in Lebanon by the firm of Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid who died earlier this year. — AP

A graphic designer prepares pictures on her computer in Istanbul.

T

Emirati and the other officials walk at the historical Al-Jahili Fort during the Aga Khan Award for Architecture announcement ceremony in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates yesterday. — AP photos

Indian author Roy announces second novel after 20-year gap

I

ndian author Arundhati Roy announced yesterday that her second novel will be published in 2017 — 20 years after she won the Booker Prize for her debut one. Roy, an activist and outspoken government critic, said through her publishers that “The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness” would be released next year. “I am glad to report that the mad souls (even the wicked ones) in ‘The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness’ have found a way into the world, and that I have found my publishers,” Roy said in a statement.

Her literary agent David Godwin said: “Only Arundhati could have written this novel. Utterly original. It has been 20 years in the making. And well worth the wait.” The 54year-old has published a range of nonfiction works including about her time in India’s jungles researching the country’s Maoists who are fighting for land rights. But this will be her first novel since “The God of Small Things”, published in 1997 about twins growing up in the southern state of Kerala which earned her the prestigious prize. One of India’s most famous and polarizing authors, Roy faced

arrest for sedition for challenging India’s right to rule over the disputed Kashmir region in 2010. Roy also criticizes the United States as a global empire established through violence, rails against Western multinationals and decries the excesses of capitalism.

She recently featured on the cover of Elle magazine, saying she wanted to break the myth of the typical Indian beauty. “I’m a black woman. Most of us are. Ninety percent of us are. This obsession that Indians have with white skin and straight hair makes me sick,” she told the magazine. — AFP

he model adjusts her clothing, stares at the camera with a hint of a smile, holds her head high and the photographer starts snapping. But at this photoshoot on the Asian side of Istanbul, the models, impeccably made up, sport no body-hugging Western styles. All wear headscarves and loose fitting outfits in a shoot for one of the industry’s fast growing sectors-modest but trendy Islamic fashion. Istanbul is positioning itself to be a hub in this nascent industry, which according to the Dubai-based Islamic Fashion and Design Council could be worth almost $500 billion within decades.

Modanisa, a Turkish online Muslim clothing retailer, started small in 2011 and today is one of the biggest names in the market. It offers more than 30,000 products-from casual tunics to shiny evening wear to sports gear, shoes and accessories-from 300 brands and ships to 75 countries. The firm calls itself the “first online fashion and shopping website for women who embrace a modest dressing style”. Modanisa’s CEO Kerim Ture said that in years past there was so little choice that a religiously conservative young woman had no option but to wear the same clothes as her mother.

“If that was happening in a country (Turkey) where 99 percent of its population is Muslim, we wondered how the situation was around the world,” he added. “That’s how we’ve started our worldwide web business.” He was surprised by this summer’s furore in strictly secular France over whether Muslim women had the right to wear the burkini swimsuit, which covers all but the hands, feet and face.

‘We are the same as you’ French courts ultimately ruled that a burkini ban by some 30 towns was “clearly illegal” and a violation of fundamental rights. For Ture, the burkini is not a symbol but a choice. “I barely understand how a country, one of whose main pillars is freedom, can oppose the Muslim swimsuit,” he said. His firm’s catalogue offers a range of “fully closed swimsuits” starting at 40 euros ($45), and, ironically, its burkini sales jumped during the debate by 15 to 20 percent to France itself and 30 percent to the Netherlands.

In May, Istanbul hosted its first conservative fashion week at the historic Haydarpasa train station to showcase this rapidly growing market.

It was organized by Franka Soeria from Indonesia, another center for Islamic clothing. As a global consultant on modest fashion trends, she decided three-and-a-half years ago to move to Istanbul-whose position straddling Europe

Kerim Ture, CEO of Turkey’s shopping website for Islamic fashion Modanisa, poses during an interview.

and Asia, some say, gives it an edge. The point of offering stylish modest clothing was not to tell people to cover up but to show that “we are also the same as you ... we don’t want to be excluded, we don’t want to look different,” she said, wearing an elegant black hijab.

“We are showing that, hey, I am modest, I like to cover. I also like fashion. This is just my style.

Just accept,” Soeria said. Osman Ozdemir, a Turkish designer of modest fashion, is the inhouse designer for Modanisa but is now also working for several other firms. “I believe Istanbul will be trend-setting on Islamic fashion,” he said. Even high-profile and luxury brands are getting into the act.”

At the start of the year, legendary Italian fash-

the streets, which are awash with billboards advertising modest styles.

‘Versace of Islam’?

“I covered my head three years ago. I didn’t want to dress up like my mother because in the past the clothes headscarf-wearing women could wear were limited,” said 16-year-old shopper Seyma. “Now I can easily find whatever I look for.” Tourists from the Middle East are also coming to shop in Istanbul. “I find many things: casual dresses, trousers, t-shirts and many pieces,” said Dalia, a young woman from Saudi Arabia. “I come without anything and buy from here.”

Not all Turkish Muslims like the trend, and see fashion as a Western tool aimed at turning

A model poses for a photographer during a fashion photo session.

ion house Dolce & Gabbana launched their first line of hijabs and abayas-some extravagantly patterned for Muslim customers in the Middle East. Though Turkey is a constitutionally secular state, the Islamic-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), co-founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has advocated removing restrictions on the Muslim headscarf since it came to power in 2002.

In 2013, Turkey lifted a long-standing ban on wearing the hijab in state institutions. Last month the government for the first time allowed policewomen to wear the headscarf under their official caps or berets. In the conservative Fatih quarter of Istanbul, Islamic fashion stores line

Muslim women into consumer-oriented spenders. “Islam seeks to form a modest Muslim identity, encouraging need-oriented consumption,” said Hulya Sekerci, an activist with the Free Thought and Education Rights Association, Ozgur-Der. “On the contrary, fashion is a vicious circle encouraging excessive consumption.

That’s why we are against fashion and fashion shows,” she said. Hakan Yildiz, professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bosphorus University, said Islamic fashion stores were clearly proliferating in Turkey. But “we need at least a generation to see how it will evolve,” he said, adding that it would need “at least 20 years more to see if a Versace of Islam will emerge.” — AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

lifestyle F A S H I O N

A man prepares clothes to sell at an African clothes shop in Monrovia.

Clothes displayed in front of an African clothes shop in Monrovia.

A picture shows clothes displayed in front of an African clothes shop in Monrovia. — AFP photos

Years of exile hone Liberian flair for design fter almost 200 years of Western influence on their clothes, Liberians are reveling in a style revolution, designing and tailoring their own edgy creations with prints and cuts influenced by their African neighbors. Until 2003, when a peace deal ended 14 years of devastating civil war, tens of thousands of Liberians had been living as refugees in Ivory Coast, Ghana and Guinea. Since then, most of them have returned, bringing with them fashion influences that have translated into a vibrant homegrown industry.

Increasingly visible across the country are a wave of unique Liberian creations, which are rapidly eclipsing the once-popular combination of polo shirts, jeans and hoodies. Back home, Liberians began asking tailors to stitch them clothes like the ones they had grown used to in Conakry or Abidjan, where people habitually wear traditional west African styles. “The long stay of many Liberians in other African countries during the war (was) where they saw different ways of dressing,” designer Agatius Coker told AFP. These days, chic in Liberia means channeling a vibrant fierce elegance-from edgy “resort pants” slit to the thigh, to bright print shirts, or “handkerchief” dresses paired with head wraps. One of Coker’s key markets is traditional African wedding celebrations, attire for which is now as sought after as the outfits for a standard European wedding. “The cloth is produced in African countries, we buy it and do the design here and the sewing,” he said.

A

outside new boutiques. And this is far from a femaleonly phenomenon. Strutting down a Monrovia street on the lookout for a new outfit is Roosevelt Krumah, who is kitted out in black skinny jeans, leather boots and a shirt made of bands of clashing prints, a matching cotton cap on his head.

With him is his friend Joe, sporting turquoise

Insatiable demand A breathable, loose-fitting cotton suit costs between $60 and $80 (53 and 71 euros), and a print shirt around $35. “We are less expensive than the European styles that cost $120 and above,” Coker added, and in the extreme humidity “the African styles are adapted to our weather.” Sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest republic, Liberia was founded by the United States in 1822 for freed American slaves, the descendants of whom still dominate political and economic life. Over the generations, the local tribes living in Liberia largely adopted the dress of these American settlers, explaining the sartorial leanings of this west African nation.

One by-product of their switch to African style is that Liberians have become avid window-shoppers, stopping to photograph the latest styles displayed

Two women try clothes at an African clothes shop, trousers, a black dress shirt and a waistcoat with matching turquoise lapels. “I feel like a real African when I dress in African style,” says Krumah, for whom functionality is also a big draw.

A secure livelihood The impact is not only a feast for the eyes but a secure source of income in an economy heavily reliant on small-scale entrepreneurship. Designer Korlu Jallah, a haute couture specialist who founded the Liberian brand Edith House of Fashion, has now diversified into pret-a-porter to deal with demand. Five years ago she was just another jobless college graduate. “My mother

is a seamstress. I used to like watching her sewing when I was small,” she says, speaking to AFP in her multi-purpose studio-store.

“When I had difficulty in finding a job, she advised me to continue in tailoring. It was difficult at the beginning because our women liked the European fashions.” The 32-year-old now employs 22 people,

‘It blings you up’ Handsome profits for the designers and jobs for the young are not the only by-products of the phenomenon, which taps deep into Liberian psychology, according to stylist Jodie Reid Seton. “It brings out the realness in you, the real African continent; a real African woman’s pride,” she told AFP. “When it comes

Two men wearing typical African clothes speak together in a street of Monrovia. including 15 tailors, six saleswomen and an administrator, but still finds it hard to keep pace with her customers’ demands. “Our African style has taken the lead,” she says, gesturing to the queue of ladies waiting for a fitting. “As you can see, business is going well.”

Ophelia Gbedia, 19, helps to sell Jallah’s designs and has managed to avoid permanently dropping out of school early like the majority of Liberian girls, despite the death of her father during the Ebola crisis.

“He was paying my school fees,” she said, carefully folding cotton shirts. “That’s how I dropped out of school, but now that I have this job, I’ve gone back.”

to African (style), it blings you up.” Reid Seton, who has seen a boom in sales with her label Sarnokoon Designs, can no longer imagine life without a touch of Africa to her outfit when she gets dressed in the morning. “Even if you’re not in an African dress, you can wear African pants; you have to have on at least an African bangle or something,” she explains. “Once you’re in that nice African attire, everyone is drawn to you. There’s a certain beauty about it.”—AFP

Paris Fashion Week

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Models present creations by Sacai during the 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show, yesterday in Paris. — AP/AFP photos

Models dance at the end of the 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show by Stella McCartney, yesterday in Paris.

Balmain reveals the Madrigal Lady II the ideal accompaniment to crowns B

almain has such a deep understanding of women that it already knows exactly what will make the future Miss Switzerland tick, months before she has been crowned. Since 2005, Balmain, preferred partner of the Miss Switzerland competition, has had the task of designing a timepiece committed to keeping the ultimate Swiss Miss perfectly on time and on trend. This year a Madrigal Lady II timepiece with 60 diamonds and arabesque dial decoration will have the role of honor. A refined combination of sophistication and modernity, the specially developed watch merges attention to detail with eye-catching looks. Obviously a tiara isn’t a pre-requisite for wearing one of these watches. The collection is available to all other deserving misses worldwide.

The 13-member Madrigal Lady II family is music to the ears of modern women who enjoy celebrating their femininity in style. A tapered central attachment between case and bracelet is reminiscent of the curves of a subtle hourglass figure. Some models pay a floral tribute to feminine charm via patterns of interlacing foliage

delivered punctually between three and six o’clock and nine and twelve. An array of monochrome and bi-color metal bracelets team up with brown sunbrushed, silver sunbrushed with arabesques or shimmering mother of pearl dials. The broad range of looks echoes the brand’s origins in a famous Parisian fashion house as materials and shapes join forces to applaud aesthetics.

The metal finishes available within the Madrigal Lady II collection are rose or yellow PVD or stainless steel. Reflecting the appealing mysterious side of the female psyche is minimalist dial detail consisting of delicate white mother-of-pearl dots to mark the hours and two compact shaped hands. Saluting girl power is a Swiss ETA 902.002 quartz movement.

Technical features: 1. Swiss quartz movement ETA 902.002 2. Case in 316L stainless steel, bi-color in steel and rose or yellow

3.

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6.

PVD and in rose or yellow PVD, 32.00 mm in Ø and 6.90 mm thick. Some cases set with 60 Wesselton diamonds 1.00 mm in Ø totaling 0.23 ct Sapphire crystal Choice of dials: silver sunbrushed with modern arabesques, white or light grey MOP and brown sunbrushed Bracelet in stainless steel, bi-color in steel and rose or yellow PVD and rose or yellow PVD Water resistance: 50m

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Years of exile hone Liberian flair for design

38

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Maneki neko or beckoning cat ornaments are seen on display at Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo. The figures are believed to be a lucky charm, commonly found at temples across Japan, and are sold as popular souvenirs.— AFP

Kim Kardashian robbed of millions in Paris U

(From left) Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble attend the Off-white 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show.

Journalists work as police officers stand guard at the entrance to a hotel residence at the Rue Tronchet, near Madeleine, central Paris, yesterday.

S reality television star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint at a luxury Paris residence by assailants disguised as police who made off with millions, mainly in jewelry, French police and her representative said yesterday. A spokesperson for Kardashian said she was “badly shaken but physically unharmed” after the assault, which occurred late on Sunday. Paris police said the items stolen were worth “several million euros” and were “mostly jewelry”. The spokesperson said “two armed masked men dressed as police officers” had entered Kardashian’s residence in a chic district of Paris and held her up at gunpoint.

On hearing the news, Kardashian’s husband, rap superstar Kanye West, abruptly ended an appearance at a festival in New York, citing a “family emergency”. Kardashian, one of the most recognizable US celebrities, had made a series of high-profile appearances at Paris fashion week. The 35-year-old had attended catwalk shows by Balenciaga and Givenchy on Sunday and had also appeared at a launch for Armenian-American jewelry designer Siran Manoukian. The Los Angeles-born designer and socialite, a longtime friend of Kardashian, was launching her own clothing label Maison Siran. A spokeswoman for Maison Siran told AFP that their jewelry was “extremely premium”, but could not confirm that Kardashian had been loaned any of it, as is often the case for fashion shows and film premieres.

Yesterday, a gaggle of journalists and fans gathered outside the red painted door of the luxury residence where Kardashian had been staying in the Madeleine district of Paris near the city’s main department stores. A waiter at a cafe opposite said: “Only stars stay there. Kanye West, Jay Z. Kim Kardashian has been there for a week, I have seen

her coming and going.” Kardashian was last week approached in Paris by Vitalii Sediuk, who carries out pranks on stars. He was caught on video attempting to kiss her behind in an apparent social commentary. Kardashian, who has two children with West, has been a fixture of US celebrity news for more than a decade after the leak of a sex tape and on the back of reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”.

Swift exit for Kanye West learned about the assault as he headlined a music festival in New York. One of the biggest draws in live music, West took to the stage half an hour late but in dramatic fashion with a fireworks show overhead as he ripped into songs from his latest album “The Life of Pablo.” However, an hour into his set, West said mid-song, “I’m sorry, show’s over,” and quickly left the stage. A festival representative took the microphone to declare a 10-minute intermission before quickly returning to say that West had a “family emergency” and had already left the venue. The festival later issued a statement praising West for a “great show” and said: “Our thoughts are with West and his family.” West had flown to Paris to appear with his wife and her sister Kourtney Kardashian on Thursday during a oneday break in his North American tour.

Amid an initial lack of details over his swift exit, many fans at the festival were distraught as they poured out of the venue into the parking lot of the New York Mets’ baseball stadium. Kardashian and West are frequent visitors to France. In 2014, they threw a lavish private party at the Versailles chateau near Paris during a no-expense-spared tour of Europe to celebrate their wedding. — AFP

In this file photo Kanye West appears at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York.

— AP/AFP photos

Frederik the Great: Stallion and social media star

H

is name is Frederik the Great and he is decked out in black, with hair coiffed in long manly locks that he shakes in the wind, turning heads as he walks through New York. He is debonair, known first and foremost for his devilishly good looks and the fact that as a consummate stud — i.e. a stallion — he makes more money and has more fans than most human counterparts.

Sometimes called the “Kardashian of horses,” this well-known Friesian, who earns close to $20,000 a month according to owner Stacy Nazario, was recently in New York for a prestigious horse show and late-night TV appearance. With his enviable social media presence and soon-to-be shampoo line and TV series, the equine star has become a veritable cash cow. It wasn’t always all glitter and glam for Frederik, however, whose stellar career has just as much to do with Nazario’s marketing skills as the horse’s resemblance to Black Beauty of literary fame.

After viewing thousands of pictures of Friesians-a breed that comes from the Friesland region of the Netherlands-Nazario, a former construction company owner, bought Frederik in 2007, bringing him from Europe to the rural US state of Arkansas. After inviting a professional photographer to a photo shoot she quickly realized her new stallion was extremely photogenic.

“Right from the start he was performing like a true model, looking straight into the camera, a true showman,” Nazario told AFP during the horse’s recent visit to New York.

“He is a gentle giant, he can put his nose down on a newborn without hurting him,” she said. Soon she created an online presence for the horse-posting his photos on the internet, building a website and starting a Facebook page and Twitter account. And little by little, the internet-with its insatiable appetite for animal pho-

tos and videos-took notice. With many baptizing the creature “the world’s most beautiful horse,” the YouTube clicks multiplied, climbing all the way to 15 million views. And Nazario, who now manages Frederik’s busy career full-time, knows how to feed the machine, scheduling photo and video session every two to three months to refresh his online presence.

Frederik’s number one asset, his mane, is subject to the most care, requiring daily combing and braiding sessions. An annual haircut, during which nearly three feet (one meter) of mane is trimmed, keeps Frederik’s hooves

from becoming tangled in his tresses.

Waiting list The horse, who visited New York in late September, was not only one of the stars of the Rolex Central Park Horse Show but made an appearance on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”-the same week as First Lady Michelle Obama and rock legend Bruce Springsteen. With great fame comes great restrictions, however, and Nazario does not disclose the location of her Arkansas ranch for security reasons. Nor does she accept every movie offer that comes her way-she has already turned down two, preferring to focus on a miniseries that will feature Frederik’s everyday life, beauty and personality. If everything goes as planned, it will arrive on small screens in approximately a year.

Requests to stud the horse-for which Nazario charges $5,500 — pour in from across the globe, but, the selective owner says proudly, “there is a waiting list.” Like any self-respecting celebrity, Frederik could soon have his own beauty line. Nazario is working on an all-natural, horse and human shampoo and conditioner that she hopes will hit shelves at the beginning of 2017. The windfall that is Frederik the Great will not last eternally.

The horse is already 15, and Friesians generally do not make it past their early twenties.

But in the meantime, Frederik is living his best horse life, strutting his stuff, and glowing in the social media limelight. Asked if she sees the resemblance between her stallion and the clan of social media doyenne Kim Kardashian, Nazario said she doesn’t really notice the similarity. “Except maybe the fact that he’s got a big booty,” she said. — AFP With his social media presence and soon-to-be shampoo line and TV series, Frederik the Great has become a veritable cash cow. — AFP photos

Frederik the Great earns close to $20,000 a month, according to owner Stacy Nazario.

Frederik the Great, a show horse from Arkansas, performs at a horse show in New York.